Moving on Up?
by 2brown-eyes
Summary: Going from rags to riches makes most people happy. However, Bella feels she lost more than she gained. Until she decides to dive back into her past with a little help from the summer help.
1. Prologue

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Summary** **: Going from rags to riches makes most people happy. However, Bella feels she lost more than she gained. Until she decides to dive back into her past with a little help from the summer help.**

 **Moving on Up?**

 **Prologue:**

The cold water was a sharp contrast to a hot summer night. I had no time to take a breath before I went under, my chest constricting and burning within seconds.

The back of my head throbbed painfully, and I was unable to think clearly or get my limbs to move. The fabric of my dress became heavy and dragged me down deeper, to the bottom of the pool—the rough cement scraping my skin as I abruptly came in contact with it.

I wondered if they noticed that I wasn't going to make it.

 **A/N:**

 **I know this is very** **short** **but the first chapter will be up tomorrow. After that, I'll update once a week on Friday.**

 **Thank you for your love and reviews!**


	2. Chapter 1

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 1**

I sat in a lawn chair near the pool trying to read. However, Irina and Heidi's mindless chatter kept interrupting me. I couldn't stand how shallow and bitchy they were. Who cares what the new pink was—pink should be pink, not green. Unfortunately for me, they were what my mother deemed as appropriate friends.

I missed my friends from our old neighborhood. After we had moved to the other side of town, I had to attend a different high school and barely saw them. I was only able to talk to Rose and Alice over the computer and phone now, since mother dearest has forbidden me to associate with those 'below us.'

Apparently, a well-off relative had died and left Renée their fortune—my only question was, where were they when we had to live off Ramen noodles and peanut butter sandwiches? Once the money rolled in, Mother decided to 'move us on up' as she likes to say. However, instead of gaining anything, I felt as if I lost everything that day.

The bitch twins weren't my only distraction.

I looked over at the guy cleaning the pool. His long muscular arms flexed as he moved the pole of the pool vacuum, back and forth, across the bottom. He had taken his shirt off and tucked it into his back pocket, leaving his tanned, chiseled chest exposed, as well as a defined v that disappeared into his shorts. Beads of sweat glistened on his muscles, making my heart beat faster. His unruly hair looked red in the sunlight.

Edward Cullen.

I have had a crush on him since seventh grade.

"Isabella," Irina snapped.

I glanced over to see that she was glaring at me, even Heidi looked up from her phone with her perfectly shaped eyebrow arched. I must have missed something 'important' they said.

"What?" I asked in exasperation.

"If you're not too busy eye-fucking the pool boy; we want to go shopping later. Are you in?" Irina asked snottily.

"First off, his name is Edward. Second, no thank you. I don't need anything." I shrugged.

"Whatever." She adjusted her shades and laid back on the chair.

"What is that?" Heidi pointed to my book.

"It's Wuthering Heights." I showed her the cover.

"No…I mean, is that a book? I didn't know they still made those." She waved her hand.

"Of course, they still make books. Why wouldn't they?" I was flabbergasted by her question.

"I think she means why are you reading that old thing? They didn't even spell _weather_ right. It's time you moved into 2015 and got an electronic device." Irina examined her nails.

The truth is, I had a Kindle and a tablet in my room. However, I still preferred to read a book over using them, especially while out here. With my luck, if I brought the electronic device out here it would wind up on the bottom of the pool.

Irina glanced over at Edward with a bored look. A smirk appeared on her face as she played with the loose string of her bikini—heaven forbid she got a tan line if it was tied. She sat up straighter and puffed out her fake chest.

"Pool Boy, I want a drink." She raised her arm over her head and snapped her fingers.

Edward glanced up, and his mouth formed a thin line. His eyes were covered by dark sunglasses masking the irritation that I was sure was in his eyes.

"Irina, once again. His name is Edward. Don't call him Pool Boy that's demeaning. He has been hired to clean the pool and to do yard work; he's not a servant." I glared at her.

"I really don't care what his name is. I want a drink; don't you have workers for that?" Irina sniffed.

"I'll get you something." I rolled my eyes and stood. "Heidi, would you like a drink?"

"Um, something low-cal. I'm watching my weight." She went back to her phone.

I rolled my eyes as I tied my wrap around my waist. Heidi was skinner than a flagpole. Why would she need to watch her weight?

The pool house was close by, and I knew Ms. Cope kept it well stocked with snacks. Renée never went in here, so I knew I wouldn't risk running into her then have to listen to her criticism. She always found something to find fault with when it came to me.

I grabbed a couple of waters out of the fridge then a Coke for myself. I paused, then grabbed a second soda. I passed a basket filled with small packages of cookies and snagged some Oreos.

The sun seemed brighter than before when I stepped outside. I quickly moved to the grass because the paved path felt hot under my bare feet. When I got back, I held out their drinks to them. Irina took hers and wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"This bottle is wet," she complained as she wiped it on a towel.

"That tends to happen since it's hot outside, and the bottle is cold, Irina. Heidi?" I was still holding out hers.

She was still clicking away on her cell. She reached up for it grasping at empty air until I placed it in her hand. She dropped it beside her and didn't even bother to say 'thank you.'

I buried a sigh and glanced around the pool for Edward. He was no longer where I last saw him, and the equipment that he was using was gone as well.

"If you are looking for Pool Boy, he went that way." Irina eyed me suspiciously. "Are you two fucking?" A malicious grin spread across her face.

Heidi glanced up from her screen and looked between the two of us, her phone forgotten on her lap.

"No. Don't be so crude," I snapped.

Instead of looking offended, Irina looked pleased that she succeeded in getting to me. Her gray eyes glinted wickedly.

"Aww, don't be ashamed. There's nothing wrong with fucking the help. Let's just say my mom's bodyguard does an excellent job covering her body. And Heidi's tutor does more than tutoring her in math. Isn't the right, Heidi?" Irina smiled evilly.

"Irina, that was only once, and I told you that in confidence." Heidi's cheeks turned slightly pink. Maybe Heidi wasn't as bad as Irina after all.

"Don't worry, sweetie, Isabella won't tell a soul—will you? After all, I am sure you wouldn't want your mom to know about Pool Boy, am I right?" Irina looked smug as she took a small sip of her water.

"Once again, nothing is going on between Edward and myself," I repeated. I glanced over at Heidi. "Nevertheless, your private business isn't any of mine to tell."

Heidi looked relieved and picked up her phone once more.

 **MoU**

I made my way behind the pool house to the shed. I could hear Edward moving inside. I stepped in and looked around the area that was packed with last year's patio chairs, floats and pool chemicals. Edward was putting the vacuum away in the corner.

"Would you like a soda?" I held out the can.

"I don't know; does it have a lot of calories?" He looked over his shoulder.

"Just a few; why, are you watching your girlish figure?" I teased.

He snickered and took the drink grazing my fingers. "Thank you, Isabella."

"Why did you call me that?" I frowned in disgust.

"Isn't that your name now?" He opened the can and tilted it back.

"I'm still Bella. I'm still the same girl you've known since grade school," I announced softly.

I held out the cookies to him, knowing they were his favorite.

"Are you?" He raised an eyebrow. He took the package from me and opened them.

"Yes. My family may have more money than we used to, but nothing else changed about me," I insisted.

"The Bella I knew, wouldn't be friends with girls like those two. You traded Rose and Alice in for a couple of prissy bitches. You don't dress like my Bella either. She hated makeup and fashion." He looked me up and down, his face wrinkled in disdain.

"I'm still in contact with Alice and Rose—although not as much as I would like. Renée practically shoves the bitch twins down my throat. She thinks they are the right sort of friends I should hang around," I defended myself. "By the way, _my Bella_?"

He flushed then focused on twisting off the top of an Oreo. "You used to be, or least I wanted you to be? I still remember kissing you for the first time at your sixteenth birthday party. But you left soon after and you never even called."

"Phones work two ways, and I don't remember you calling me," I argued. "Anyway, that was the second time you kissed me," I reminded him.

"You still practically ignored me when I first started working here." Edward scowled.

"I had to. I knew how much you needed this job to earn money for college. I didn't want Renée to fire you because she found out how much I liked you," I defended myself.

Perhaps, it was wrong that I kept my distance when Edward started here. But I knew Renée detested the Cullens. She used to be jealous that they had more money than us. She claimed that they rubbed it in by offering to help us, which was far from the truth. Esme and Carlisle used to treat me as their own.

Once her inheritance came in, Renée loved that she was now worth more than the Cullens. I believed that she only hired Edward to relish the fact she had a Cullen working for her. She had a field day when Carlisle had an accident and could no longer be a surgeon.

For a moment, he watched me blankly with his cool green eyes, then he shook his head before turning back to his task. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach, and I spun to leave. In my haste, I tripped over the leg of an old patio chair and fell forward. Edward caught me and roughly pulled me upright until I slammed against his hard chest.

"Thank you." I turned so I was facing him.

He looked down at me thoughtfully and rested his forehead against mine. His lips were so close I thought he might kiss me. "Come out with me tonight. The old gang and a few others are getting together, down by the abandoned mill."

"I can't," I whispered regretfully, holding onto his shoulders.

"Can't? Or won't?" He pulled away so suddenly that I nearly fell backward. I grabbed on to the same chair to steady myself.

"Can't. Renée won't allow it," I informed him regretfully.

"You're twenty years old, Isabella," he spat angrily, causing me to flinch.

"It isn't as easy as that." I wanted to explain better, but this wasn't the time or the place.

"Forget it." He stormed from the shed; crushing me like the can he dropped at my feet as he left.

I fell into the chair and sighed. I wanted away from my mother's clutches, but she threw roadblocks in every path I tried to take. I somehow got lucky enough for her to let me go to college. Her hope was for me to land a wealthy prospect. I was hoping to get a degree so I could earn my own income.

I left when the heat got unbearable in the small space. I glanced around for Edward and heard the mower somewhere on the property. I went back toward the pool and found that the girls had left; not that I cared.

I was hot and sweaty just from the few minutes in the shed. I stepped on the edge of the diving board and looked at the enticingly cool water. Without a second thought, I dove in and let myself sink to the bottom.

Sitting there reminded me of when I was a kid and we used to swim in the Cullen's pool. We used to have a contest to see who could hold their breath the longest. Alice usually went out first, and Rose never participated. She claimed that the chlorine would turn her hair green. I used to think that she could be so superficial, but she was nothing compared to Irina. Emmett was most often the next one out since he had a problem with staying still. Edward usually beat me but a handful of times I managed to win.

When I started feeling the burning in my chest, I pushed off the bottom. I broke through the surface and swam a few strokes to the edge. Without using the ladder, I boosted myself out of the water. As I sat on the edge so that I could squeeze some extra water out of my hair, I felt like I was being watched. I glanced and caught Edward as he looked away as he drove the tractor around the side of the house.

"Isabella, get in here, now!" Renée hollered from her veranda.

I rolled my eyes and wrapped my towel around me before grabbing my things. I walked slowly up the path, wondering what she wanted.

"Hurry along, Miss. Your mother is in one of her moods." Mrs. Cope beckoned from the patio door.

"I'm coming." I picked up my pace, knowing the longer she was kept waiting, the more unreasonable she would be.

 **A/N:**

 **The majority of this story will be in Bella's POV with an occasional chapter from Edward. I'm sure there a bunch of questions, like how they didn't stay in touch, and why Bella doesn't stand up to Renée better. If I don't answer your question in a review I'm not ignoring you, I just don't want to leak out the answer yet. They will be answered, eventually in the story so please be patient.**

 **Thank you for all the love and reviews you have given my story.**


	3. Chapter 2

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own. If you haven't checked it out yet, Fran has a group where she and others recommend some great stories it's called Pay it Forward on Facebook. Just removes spaces and add this after com: / groups / 896806390388220/**

 **Ch.** **2**

I cut through the kitchen and used the back stairs since it was the fastest way to my room. I shivered due to the change in temperature from the hot outdoors to the air-conditioned house. I wondered if I would have time to change before finding Renée.

My answer became clear as I found her outsidemy room waiting for me, tapping her foot impatiently.

"The servant stairs, really, Isabella," she huffed.

"It was the quickest way. I thought it would be better than dripping water through the house." I answered with a sigh. Little did she know I used them all the time.

"Your hair looks dreadful. You shouldn't be swimming in that pool; don't you know how much damage chlorine can do to it?" She picked up a lock of my hair and scowled in disgust. "Not to mention that bathing suit is not supposed to get wet."

"What's the purpose of having a pool if no one goes in it?" Phil, my stepfather, approached us from the other end of the long hallway.

I hid my smirk as Renée turned to face him. "Well, we couldn't be the only ones on the street without one."

She turned back to focus on me. Phil rolled his eyes and shook his head behind her.

Phil was a sweet and humble man. I questioned my mother's motives for being with him—he was nothing like the men she dated before. He was extremely intelligent and had a knack for stock marketing. He increased my mother's inheritance substantially so that she had actually made more money than she spent.

"Ren, our reservations are at six at the club. We should leave in about an hour if you want cocktails first," Phil reminded her.

"I'll be just a moment." She smiled pleasantly, and he went back to their room.

"I'm going to shower now." I moved to go around her but was stopped.

"Make sure you use extra conditioner then use the hot rollers. Your hair is always prettier when curled. I left a dress on your bed and shoes for you to wear tonight. Your date will be here at seven to pick you up." She looked me up and down critically. "And do something about your toenails. They have been that same shade for three days.'

"Wait a minute, back up, Renee…my date? I don't have a date tonight." I frowned.

"Well, you do now. His name is Austin St. Marks. He's studying law at Harvard and is home for the summer. He is perfect for you." She beamed.

"Don't you think you should've talked to me first? What if I had plans?" I wasn't thrilled with being set up with a blind date.

"Please, you never do anything but sit home and read. You are young and should be out there dating while you still have your looks. Think of it as a favor to me, and how you owe it to me after I used to work two jobs just to feed you." She started with the guilt.

"Fine. But in the future can you check with me before." I sighed.

"Yes, yes. Now go, you don't have a lot of time." She shood me with her hand.

 **MoU**

I closed the door behind me and glanced at my clock to see how long I had. It was barely four. I never took longer than thirty minutes, so I didn't feel rushed. I fingered the yellow dress on the bed—it looked short—very short. The color alone made me hate the dress instantly. The only person I knew that could pull off that shade of yellow was Alice.

I shook my head then dropped my book on my bed before I headed to take a shower. Having my own bathroom was the only thing I liked about the new house. It was my domain that no one else entered. Out of habit, I locked the door. I trusted Phil, but after too many of Renée's boyfriends _accidently_ walked in on me, I now err on the side of caution.

After my shower, I pulled out an old photo album from the back of my closet and sat cross-legged on my bed. I leafed through the pages of my childhood, starting with pictures of me as a baby. My grandmother Marie doted on me and took care of me as Renée worked.

There were no pictures of my father. My mother claimed she didn't even know who he was. But then, when I was sixteen, I saw a name on my birth certificate.

Charles Swan

Renée then told me he abandoned us when she was pregnant, and she didn't want me to know. She seemed upset and hurt so I let go without pushing it further. I always wondered what he was like though—maybe someday I'll try to find him.

In the next series of photos, I was older, about the time I met Edward and Alice. They were in my kindergarten class. At first, I thought they were twins but later found out that Edward was adopted as a toddler. Esme stepped in and offered to help my mother out after Gran died.

The pages were filled with memories of pool parties, birthdays, school plays and other small events in our lives. Esme always made sure to give me extra copies for my own albums.

The last pictures were of my sixteenth birthday. Renée was off on a vacation with her then boyfriend, leaving me by myself. When Esme found out, she and Alice threw me a party.

 _I leaned against the wall beneath the staircase watching the party goers. Edward's best friend, Emmett, was doing some weird dance called the Carlton with a bunch of people clapping around him. His girlfriend and my friend, Rose, was shaking her head and laughing._

 _Without turning my head, I knew who leaned against the wall next to me._

" _Are we hiding? Shouldn't you be out there with all your admirers?" Edward teased._

" _Mike has been following me around like a lost puppy, and Jessica then glared at me because he's paying attention to me and not to her," I answered with a heavy sigh._

" _So he's got a case of puppy love?"He snickered._

" _Not funny," I grumbled. "I tried to tell him nicely I'm not interested, but all it seems to do is encourage him."_

" _You need to be blunt, you're way too nice. Channel Rose or something, next time," he suggested._

 _He glanced out at the floor and suddenly pulled me behind him into a corner where the wall met a tall, wooden bookcase._

" _What are you doing?" I tried to move, but he blocked me._

" _Shhh—" he hushed me._

" _What's up, Mike?" he called out a few seconds later._

" _Have you seen, Bella, I'm looking for her?" Mike asked._

" _Not for awhile. Oh, wait…there she is," Edward responded._

" _Where?"_

" _She entered the kitchen. You just missed her."_

" _Thanks."_

 _After a moment of silence, Edward grabbed my hand and pulled me out to their deck. The September air was much chillier than inside. The only lightning was from the inside windows._

" _Here." He slipped off his letterman jacket and placed it on my shoulders. He was the only student to ever earn a jacket his Freshman year for varsity track and the swim team._

" _Thank you. Not that I'm not happy you sent him on a wild goose chase, but what happened to being blunt?" I slipped my arms through his sleeves._

" _Eh…it was more fun to play with his mind." Edward grinned mischievously._

" _I almost forgot"—he reached into the pocket of his jacket—"for you." He handed over a small, wrapped package with a little bow._

" _I thought my dress was my gift from you guys. You didn't have to get me more." I fingered the ribbon._

" _The dress is from my mom and Alice—I wanted to do more than sign my name on something. Open it." His green eyes sparkled, and his smile was wide._

 _I ripped off the paper and opened the lid of the velvet box. I gasped as I looked at a silver Claddagh necklace with a sapphire heart._

" _It's beautiful. Thank you." I kissed his cheek._

 _He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "You're welcome."_

" _Will you help me put it on?" I pulled the chain off the cardboard insert and dangled it between us._

 _He nodded and took it from me as I gathered my hair to hold it out of his way. His fingers brushed against my skin, making me slightly shiver._

" _Perhaps we should go back inside," he whispered reluctantly. His hands dropped back to his side, but he didn't step away._

" _In a minute." I gazed up at him._

 _I was enjoying being out here alone with him—we have very few moments like this since someone else was always around. He was the sweetest and cutest boy in our class and girls were always hovering around him. He didn't seem interested in them. However, maybe that was hopeful thinking._

 _But then again, he always just signed the card and gave a joint gift with Alice for the other girls in our class—not caring what she picked out._

" _Bella." His voice was husky, and he was staring at me intently as I was looking at him._

" _Yeah?"_

" _Can I—" He hesitated and looked nervous._

" _Can you—"_

 _He took a step closer and cupped my face, tilting it up. His face lowered, and his lips brushed against mine softly then again more firmly._

A moment later we were interrupted by Alice, who was looking for me so they could cut the cake. A week later, Renée got the news about her inheritance and didn't waste time moving us across town.

I thought we could stay in touch easily due to the digital age—hell, we were still in the same town. However, Renée suddenly grew this need to be strict, claiming it was all for my protection. My internet usage was monitored, and I wasn't allowed to use social sites like Facebook in fear someone would target me because of our new wealth. I also wasn't allowed a cell, since Renée found teenagers with their own phones annoying, and how in her day, she got by just fine. It wasn't until I entered college, she backed off, and I was able to attain more freedom.

I always wondered what would've happened between Edward and me if I hadn't moved.

My phone alarm went off alerting me to get ready for my date. I placed the album back in my closet. My hair and light make up were easy. It wasn't until I got to the dress that I hit a snag.

"She's got to be kidding," I muttered out loud as pulled on the dress hem—desperate to make it longer.

I swear my bikini had more fabric to cover my butt than this dress.

"There's no way I'm wearing this on a date…or let's face it, ever." I captured a picture and sent it to Alice with the caption, **'Renée thinks I should wear this on my date.'**

She texted back a moment later telling me to burn it or spill something on it.

I changed into a dark blue sundress that was a few inches over my knees. While looking for a necklace, I chose the Claddagh that Edward had given me years ago. I found a pair of ballet flats since I had no interest in doing my nails.

 **MoU**

I was downstairs waiting with five minutes to spare—well, that was my intention. The doorbell finally rang at twenty past seven. I opened it myself—a cardinal no-no if Renée was here.

Outside, was a fairly tall guy, though shorter than Edward's six foot two. He had bleached blonde hair and blue, vibrant eyes. He flashed me a smile exposing his bright white teeth.

 _Dear God, she set me up with Alice's Ken doll from childhood._

"Hi, I'm here for Isabella?" he said cooly.

"That's me. Are you Austin?" I adjusted my purse strap.

"Don't you have staff to answer the door?" His eyes narrowed, and he looked behind me.

"We do, but I was closer, and opening the door is an easy concept. Just turn the handle and pull."

"Well, we're running late, shall we?" He turned and went down the steps without waiting for me.

I followed him to his little red sports car and got in. I watched him through the windshield as he polished an unseen spot with his sleeve then checked his hair, in the reflection of the chrome. He then headed to his door and paused to look again in the side view mirror.

"Oh, this is going to be a fun night," I mumbled to myself.

The drive to the restaurant seemed even longer as he kept talking in a monotone voice about his favorite subject—himself. Apparently, Ken had aspirations to be the President of Untied States one day.

 _Moving to Canada was sounding pretty good right now._

We left his car with the valet and stepped into the high-class seafood restaurant. Austin approached the podium with a swagger. The blonde hostess glanced up, and her eyes widened, and she bit her lip.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a breathy voice.

"Austin St. Marks. I have a reservation. We're a little late, you know how long it takes girls to get all dressed up, although I doubt you need it, beautiful. Can we still get a table?" he purred and held out a one hundred dollar bill.

"Right away." She plucked the bill from him.

She grabbed a few menus and led us across the restaurant to a window seat, overlooking the ocean. The entire way, Austin's eyes were glued to her round ass. Once we were seated, she only focused on him, keeping her back to me.

"Let me know if there is anything else I can do?" She touched his shoulder.

"I'm sure I can think of something, Jane." He gave her his mega-watt smile and stared at the name tag that was pinned over her breasts.

 _Hello? I'm right here_.

He was so busy watching her walk away from that he didn't notice that I took his picture. I texted it to Alice.

 **B: I think I'm on a date with your old Ken doll.**

 **A: O.M.G. That's 2 funny.**

I placed my phone back in my purse and glanced at the menu thinking of ordering something light since I wasn't too hungry.

"Hi, I'm Ashley, I'll be your waitress this evening." A tall, brunette batted her eyes at Ken.

He soaked up the attention like a man dying of thirst. "A pleasure to meet you, Ashley."

"What can I get for you? No request is too small." She licked her lips, she moved close enough that her bare legs brushed his.

 _Seriously? What kind of restaurant did he take me to?_

"How about a bottle of your finest white wine. I'll have the swordfish, please, with rice. Isa will have the Ceasar salad, dressing on the side." He didn't even glance at me but was running his fingers on the edge of her skirt.

 _I will? And who is Isa…me?_

"That sounds good to start. I'll have the Serf 'N Turf for my main meal," I spoke up.

Ashley turned around, and she looked surprised to see me sitting there. "The 6oz., how would you like that cooked?" She straightened and took a small step back from him.

"Actually, the 10oz., cooked medium rare. Add on the extra lobster tail. I'll need extra butter for that. I'll have the twice baked potatoes, no sour cream. To drink, I'll have a Coke with three cherries and a little, purple umbrella," I said sweetly.

"Yes, Miss." She nodded her head and started to leave.

"One more thing, I would like the lobster removed from the shell please." I smiled.

"Umm..., I don't think the kitchen will do that." She failed at looking apologetic.

"I thought no request was too small? Should I ask a manager?" I raised an eyebrow.

"No, I'll do it myself." She glanced at Austin and scurried to the kitchen.

I was being a bitch—I'll admit it freely. However, their actions were so highly inappropriate that I couldn't find it in me to feel guilty.

Austin was looking at me with slight interest. "Your mother didn't tell me how particular you were."

"Oh, I get that from her." Which wasn't too far off. I swear I've seen wait staff cringe and hide when they see her coming.

 **MoU**

Thankfully, Austin was quiet as we ate our meals, he disappeared before I was done and said he would be right back.

After ten minutes, I was full and was wondering if he'd left. I glanced around seeing if I could flag down Ashley so I could get a to-go box, but I didn't see her.

"Excuse me." I captured the attention of waiter on his way past the table with an empty tray.

"Yes, Miss." He paused and gave me a friendly smile.

"Have you by any chance seen Ashley, our waitress," I asked.

"I think she's detained at the moment." He looked embarrassed.

"Have you seen the guy I was with?" I gestured to his empty chair.

"Ah…" The poor guy flushed and shifted in his spot.

"Let me guess, detained too?" I rolled my eyes.

He looked reluctant to answer.

"Look it was a blind date that I wasn't even enjoying so it's fine. I know this isn't your table, but could you bring me something so I could take the rest of this home. I would like to be gone before he gets back?" I smiled.

"Yes. That I can do." He looked relieved and hurried to the kitchen.

While he was gone, I contacted a cab company to come get me. The waiter returned and helped me place my leftover steak and extra lobster tail in the foil tin with a lid. I handed him a twenty for his trouble. I was thankfully on my way out before Austin returned. Just before I got to the exit, the coat room door opened and out stumbled Ashley, Jane, and Austin, who was adjusting his pants.

Why am I not surprised?

I ducked behind the potted plant before they saw me. I shook my head in disgust and stepped out into the warm evening. My cab pulled up a moment later, and I got in, glad to leave before Austin found me.

"Where to?" the middle-aged cabbie asked, looking at me in the rearview mirror.

I opened my mouth to give him my home address then changed my mind. I was fed up playing by Renée's rules and needed a night off. I was going to do something for myself for once.

"The old mill by Beaver Creek," I responded.

 **A/N:**

 **I know a few think Bella is weak and don't understand why she doesn't just leave. All I can say is she has her reasons and it isn't that easy, most of it them will be revealed next chapter.**

 **Thank you for all the love and reviews you have given my story.**


	4. Chapter 3

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 3**

" _The old mill by Beaver Creek," I responded._

"Forgive me for saying this, Miss, but I don't think that is a very safe place for a young girl like you to be at night." He looked at me skeptically in the review mirror.

"I'm meeting some friends there, I'll be fine. But thank you for warning me." I smiled.

"As you wish." He reluctantly pulled into traffic.

He weaved through town expertly, while humming to the radio. I remained silent in the back and watched out the window, grateful that he didn't want to make small talk. Roughly ten minutes after we left the parking lot, he turned onto a dark, dirt road. He pulled to a stop where there were other vehicles parked.

"Are you sure about this? Do you recognize any of these cars? I'll never forgive myself if something bad happens." He seemed concerned.

"I do recognize a few of them." I spotted Edward's motorcycle parked under a tree, and Rose's car, further down.

I handed over the fare with a little extra for a tip. "Thank you, again, you're sweet to be concerned. Please, keep the change."

"You're welcome, Miss, and thank you." He counted the cash quickly. His stomach let a loud rumble, and he flushed slightly.

I glanced at the meal in my hands, knowing that it would just go bad if I didn't get it refrigerated soon. "Would you by chance be interested in some steak, lobster and half of a baked potato? I promise it's safe to eat, the only time I touched it was moving into the container," I offered him.

"That's might of sweet of you," he said as he took the box from me.

He placed it on the seat beside him and pulled out a card. "This is my number, call if you need a ride tonight or any other time, and I'll come get you."

"Thank you"—I glanced at the card—"James."

I stepped out of the cab and headed for the dirt path that led down the hill to the mill. Through the trees, I could see light from lanterns and a small bonfire. Alice saw me first as I reached the clearing and waved wildly.

"Bella, is that you?" she squealed and ran over to hug me.

"Hey, Alice," I smiled, squeezing her back.

"I'm so surprised to see you. That dress is much better. Did you bring the yellow one for the fire?" She stepped back and looked me up and down.

"No, coming here was a last minute decision," I explained.

"Bella, hey girl. I didn't think I would see you here." Rose sauntered up and gave me a light hug.

"Hi, Rose," I greeted her.

"Did you bring Ken with you? Alice showed me his picture and he is a dead ringer." She looked around.

"Ugh. No. That guy was a total creep. When I left, he was leaving the coat room while zipping up his pants with the hostess and our waitress behind him." I scowled.

"Wow, he nailed both them?" Emmett interrupted us.

Rose glared at him, and he gave her a sheepish shrug. She rolled her eyes and huffed but a small smirk appeared on her face.

"Bells, long time no see." Emmett swung me up and around. He placed me back on my feet, and I wobbled slightly. "Sorry, I forgot that your balance isn't the greatest." He grabbed onto me before I fell and let out a hearty laugh.

"That's okay. How are you, Em?" I laughed with him.

He hesitated then rolled his shoulders. "Life may throw its punches, but I'm still here."

His statement seemed strange, but before I could ask what he meant, Rose changed the subject.

"So Edward says you have a new car." I knew Rose loved cars, so I wasn't surprised that she asked.

"I do. My old one had a recall on some parts, so Phil thought it would be best to get a car with a better safety record, rather than get it fixed," I explained.

"What is it? Where is it? Can I drive it?" She looked excited as a child on Christmas morning.

"It's red. At home. And next time," I answered.

"It's red? Seriously?" Rose gave me an incredulous look. "Never mind, I forgot who I was asking."

"Sorry, I've never been one to know much about cars." I shrugged apologetically.

"How did you get here, limo?" Emmett asked.

"No, I took a cab," I answered.

"Bella, we should get together and go shopping the next time Renée is out of town." Alice tugged on my hand.

"Sure, Alice." I nodded with a smile.

"What's it like be able to shop until you drop without worrying about a price limit?" Her eyes glowed with curiosity.

"Um. I actually, don't go shopping that much to know," I admitted.

"Oh." Alice's disappointed smile twisted into one of humor. "Well, I guess some things never change."

"Hey, Bella, do you think you could lend an old friend a cash advance? I got myself into a tight bind," Mike asked while suddenly appearing at my side.

I haven't seen him in years, and he still had that all-American look, except his eyes were bloodshot, and I could smell beer on his breath. I took a step closer to Alice since it felt like he was too close.

"Are you okay?" My first thought was concerned that he was in trouble.

"You idiot, you can't ask her that. It's rude." Alice's boyfriend, Jasper, elbowed him out of the way. I didn't know him very well; he moved into town when I left, all I knew is that he walked on water according to Alice.

"Well excuse me. I guess you've become a snobby bitch, and can't help a guy out." Mike huffed and stormed away.

"Ignore him. He just wants it for beer, and I think he's had enough," Alice insisted.

I glanced around the area, and everyone seemed to just stare at me after that—even people that I didn't even know. Jessica was whispering behind her hand as she talked to Lauren. I started to feel really awkward and shifted uncomfortably.

"Will everyone quit staring at her? She's not a painting in a museum." I heard Edward's velvety voice close by, but I couldn't see him.

My eyes searched him out. Edward. He was leaning against a tree holding a can of beer. A blonde I didn't recognize was trying to get his attention by twirling her hair and placing her hand on his chest.

Of course, he would have a girlfriend. I'm such an idiot.

After a few moments of making plans with Alice and Rose, I spotted Emmett by the coolers and headed over to him. I could still tell something was up with him.

"Hey, would you like one?" Emmett held up a can of beer and brushed off an ice cube stuck to the side.

"No, thank you," I refused the offer.

"Our beer not good enough for you?" Edward stepped around me and took the can from Emmett. He popped it open and took a swig.

"I'm sorry, I just don't like the taste of it," I explained.

"You don't need to apologize. We got a couple of wine coolers, soda and water too." Emmett shot Edward a look.

"Water, please."

Edward walked off, back toward the same tree. I didn't turn around, but I could feel him watching me. Emmett dug into a second cooler and produced a water bottle. He opened it and handed it to me.

"What crawled up his shorts?" Emmett snorted.

"We got in a bit of an argument earlier," I answered softly.

"Oh yeah?" Huh?" Emmett stared behind me while taking a sip of his beer.

"So how are you really? Who would be foolish enough to throw punches at you?" I asked.

Emmett smirked and flexed his muscles. "Not many. I lost my job at the garage I was working at, last hired, first fired thing. I have a new job lined up, and on the plus side, I'll be making more money. However, I don't start until Monday, and my first check is in two weeks since they pay bi-weekly. Because of all this crap, it puts me in a tight spot to pay Gran's bills for the home this month and eat," he explained with a tight frown.

"How much do you need?" I asked. I pulled out my purse and found my checkbook.

"Bells, I can't ask you to do that, put it away, I'm not taking your money." Emmett shook his head.

"You didn't ask. I'm offering you a loan. Once you're settled in your new job, you can pay me back. I know how much your Gran means to you, and I can't let you starve, let me help, please." I tried to persuade him.

Emmett hesitated for only a moment. "Thank you. I will pay you back as soon as I can."

"I know you will." I smiled softly.

Rose approached as I finished writing out the check. "What's going on?"

"Well, because of Bella, I can eat this month. She's offered to loan me the money for Gran's bill." Emmett showed her the check.

"That was very nice of you. I'm just sorry I didn't have the extra money to help." Rose touched his arm.

"I know, Rosie." Emmett wrapped his arm around her.

"You worked at the same garage, did you get let go too, Rose?" I asked.

"No, I think Sam was afraid to let go of his only female mechanic in fear that I might sue or something. However, as soon as another position opens at the new place Emmett's at, I'm going to jump at the chance." Rose leaned against him.

"I'm going to miss you, Rosie." Emmett kissed the top of her head.

"Aww. I'm going to miss you too, you big lug." She kissed his cheek.

He turned his head, and they started to make out in front of me. Feeling uncomfortable that I was interrupting a private moment, I wandered away downstream and sat on a log. I watched the water flow by and ignored the sounds of laughter behind me.

 **MoU**

"May I join you?" Edward had approached soundlessly.

I nodded, and he sat next to me. We both watched the stream for a while, listening to the peepers.

"I'm sorry for what I said before, it was too harsh. But at the same time, I just don't understand why you let Renée have so much control of your life—she's going to stifle you, and you need to get away from her." Edward picked at the bark of the log with his fingers.

"I know she can be a controlling bitch at times, but you forget that she's the only family I have. She has given up a lot for me. She had me a seventeen and for the most part raised me by herself, since my bio dad bailed when he found out about me. She had to work two to three jobs at once to make ends meet. I owe her for it." I tensed slightly.

"Is that what she says, that you owe her?"

"Only if I refuse to give into her. I know some think I'm weak, but I'm fully aware of what she's doing, and what I need to do for right now."

"I know she's your only family, but you can change it now and not take her crap. You could leave; get your own apartment and a job to be free from her." He seemed frustrated.

"I told you it's more complicated than that. Don't you think I've thought of those things? When I first went to the college, I tried to take out my own school loans and switch everything to my own name. I was denied and was told by the clerk there, that I was extremely selfish for trying to take aid away from kids that really needed it and didn't have rich families to help them. Then I went to the bank to try for a loan. However, since I have no credit history, I was refused, unless I had someone to co-sign. Renée obviously would never agree to that." I paused for a moment to take a deep breath after voicing my frustrations.

"That clerk shouldn't have spoken to you like that," Edward pointed out, looking upset.

"It was _off the record_ so what could I do. Besides, in a way, he was right." I sighed, using finger quotes. "On the job front, I applied to a bunch of places and got only a few callbacks. A couple places hired me, but when I went to start, they suddenly didn't need me," I explained, not revealing my suspicions as to why that was. "I do have more plans to escape her clutches, but for now, it's best I play along for other reasons."

He shifted on the log so he was straddling it. "Something else has been bothering me—you said earlier that you stayed away from me so I could keep my job. What do you mean by that?"

I cringed slightly since I didn't mean to blurt that out earlier. "I told you I didn't want to give Renée any ammunition to fire you or have you even blacklisted from other clients. She wasn't even going to hire you unless I promised to keep my distance," I admitted.

"What gave you the right to do that?" He stood abruptly and turned so he was glaring down at me.

I shrank back from him. "I know that you needed the job so you can pay for school..."

"I don't need your pity. If that's how I got that job, you, and your mother can shove it." He stormed away for the second time today.

"No! I don't pity you. I was just trying to help. Edward, wait—" I started to follow him, but tripped over a rock, and I fell to the ground.

When I got up and brushed myself off, he was long gone. I couldn't see him amongst everyone else. Alice headed towards me with Jasper close behind her.

"Bella, what happened? Edward just stormed out of here, looking pissed off." Her eyes were full of concern.

"You know how you advised me not to tell him about Renée's unreasonable demands, and what I feared what would happen if I didn't play along?" I wrapped my arms around myself.

"You told him?" She winced. "I knew he wouldn't take it well. Why did you tell him?"

"It came up, and he asked directly, I couldn't lie to him anymore. But I didn't even get a chance to explain why. He thinks I did it out of pity, which isn't true at all." I blinked furiously so I didn't start crying out of frustration.

"I know that's not why. He doesn't let anyone help him, I told you that, which is why I thought it would be better not to tell him. I'm sorry, Bella. I'm more to blame than you are." Alice hugged me.

"Try talking to him again once he gets a chance to wrap his mind around it. I'm sure he'll see reason," Jasper spoke up calmly.

Alice rolled her eyes theatrically, and my hopes faded. Jasper saw her and gave a half-hearted shrug.

"I think it's time for me to go." I pulled out James' card. I had no desire to be here any longer.

"I can give you a ride. Alice and I are leaving," Jasper offered.

"Are you sure? I live out of the way," I questioned.

"It would be no trouble at all. Besides, my mother would tan my hide if I let you get into a cab this late at night." Jasper smiled.

"Thank you, Jasper," I agreed.

"We can sit in the backseat like we did when we were little and talk." Alice squealed, hooking her arm through mine as she practically dragged me to the path.

 **A/N:**

 **Let me start by saying James isn't a threat. Just a cab driver who was feeling guilty about leaving a young girl off at a rundown place without a ride. I know his name sends some into a panic on hearing it. This isn' one of those times. Lol.**

 **A lot more light to why Bella hasn't up and left. Alice has played a part in it as well.**

 **I'm pleased and thankful to say that this story was recommended on Fic Dive on A Different Forest.**

 **Thank you for all the love and reviews you have given my story.**

 **On a side note, my last story, Love is Easy, but Life is Complicated, is up for fic of the month for May. Please remember to vote for mine or one of the other great stories that are there.**


	5. Chapter 4

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 4**

 **EPOV**

I rolled over and slapped my alarm, then groaned glancing at the red numbers. Morning came all too soon; I covered my eyes briefly with my arm. I don't think I got any sleep last night—my fight with Bella weighed heavily on my mind.

I admit I chose to work in that neighborhood because I knew it was where she was. I had missed her and was hoping to reconnect. However, I was shocked when she gave me the cold shoulder—she had changed. I saw a glimmer of hope when she told off the ice princess for calling me _pool boy_. Her real reason why she had been avoiding me left me spinning, and I had to get out of there.

I groaned and rolled myself out of bed. I had another long day ahead of me, starting with meeting Emmett for a run before heading to work. But first, I needed some coffee.

I yawned and stretched my arms over my head as I headed for the kitchen.

"Ewww…put a shirt on; no one wants to see that." My sister was behind the counter chopping fruit for a smoothie.

"Yeah, I think a lot of ladies would disagree with you—they would love to get their hands on this," I responded with a smirk as I patted my abs.

She tossed a piece of banana at me, which I dodged. "Ugh, you are so conceited. No wonder you drive a motorcycle, your head would never fit inside of a car," she retorted with a playful twitch to her lips.

"I'll tell you what no one wants to see…it's their little sister in her pajamas in their kitchen, making it obvious she spent the night with their roommate." I skirted around her and grabbed a coffee cup.

"You two make me glad that I'm an only child." Jasper looked up from his paper at us with amusement.

"Would you like a smoothie?" Alice asked me.

"No, thank you." I poured the caffeine beverage to the brim.

"Suit yourself." She reached to hit the button after tossing in the strawberries.

"Wait. You need the lid. I don't feel like washing my ceiling again." Jasper quickly snapped the cover on the pitcher.

"Oops, yeah, that was a mess last time, huh?" She giggled and turned on the blender.

As the machine ran, I couldn't help but notice that Jasper and Alice seemed to have a silent conversation with each other.

"Hey, Alice, I think you're going to burn out the motor if you don't turn it off soon," I called over the sound the machine.

She switched it off and gave Jasper a pointed look while holding out a glass. He sighed and closed his paper; he accepted the smoothie and took a sip. Alice swirled her straw and seemed to be deep in thought.

"So you looked angry when you left last night," Jasper stated casually.

"I imagine you would be too if you found out that a job was handed to you rather than earned," I said bitterly.

"You weren't handed the job, you did earn it. Bella was just making sure you didn't lose it unfairly. Opps." Alice slapped a hand over her month.

"So much for you having me talk to him," Jasper muttered under his breath.

I narrowed my eyes at her as she avoided looking at me. "You spoke to Bella after I left."

"Yes." Alice nodded.

This time, Jasper gave her a pointed looked, and her shoulders slumped slightly. She bit her lip, something she only did when she was guilty.

"Bella and I talk nearly every day," she admitted.

"Since when? Why am I just hearing about this? How were you in contact with her and I wasn't." I placed my mug on the table before I had the urge to throw it.

"I didn't need your permission to call her. Besides, when have you ever tried to reach out to her?" Alice shot back.

"I…" I stopped when I had no answer for that because I didn't try at all.

"To be fair, man, you can't put all the blame on Bella for losing contact, if you didn't try," Jasper pointed out to me.

"Fine. She still went behind my back with this job. What gave her the right to do that?"

"Alice." Jasper looked at her pointedly.

I turned to her, bewildered about what she would have to say about this. Did she go behind my back too?

"You're a hypocrite!" Alice blurted.

"How is this my fault?" I cried incredulously.

"I didn't say it was your fault, I said you're a hypocrite. There is a difference. Just like there is a difference between what you think Bella did and what she was actually trying to do. If you stayed and talked to her, you would know that." Alice placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, then enlighten me?" I challenged.

"With pleasure. How many times did you, yourself, or had me, slip money into Bella's pocket, purse or locker, so she could buy lunch without her knowing it was from you? Or how about the time you bought her a winter coat freshman year in high school because she didn't have one? You begged me to give it to her, under the pretense I had bought it for myself, but it didn't fit right, and I had lost the receipt and couldn't return it," Alice lectured.

"That's because if she knew, she wouldn't have accepted the help. I didn't want her to starve or freeze to death so I had to do it on the sly. What does this have to do with me now?" I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms in front of my chest.

"It means your new name is kettle."

"What?" I was completely confused.

"I think she means pot. As in the pot calling the kettle black," Jasper answered.

"I still don't know what this has to do with anything." I rolled my eyes and wanted her to get to the point already.

"It means you are horrible accepting help for yourself. You refused Dad's offer to help pay for college and insisted on doing it yourself. True, he took a pay cut when he couldn't be a surgeon, but he still can work, plus Mom is working too."

"They should save their money for themselves. I don't feel right taking it." I couldn't help but worry one day if Carlisle or Esme had another accident and they would need the money.

"Edward, what Alice is trying to say is that Bella didn't _get_ you the job. She's keeping you from _losing_ it since her mother is a very vindictive and nasty woman," Jasper supplied "And that—" He gave her a stern look.

Alice looked down and stirred her untouched drink.

"Alice, either you tell him or I will," he said sternly.

"Fine. Bella doesn't deserve all the blame for not telling you sooner. Back when you first started, Bella confided in me about Renée not liking the idea of you working there and wanted her to stay away from you. I told her not to tell you about it since I knew you would have a problem with that." She chewed on her lower lip.

"I need to get out of here." I pushed away from the wall and headed to my room to change, feeling completely frustrated about the recent turn of events.

Alice chased after me down the hall. "Please, promise me you'll talk to Bella, so she can explain herself."

"I don't think you're in a place to demand promises, Alice," I shouted as I shut her out of my room.

 **MuP**

Twenty minutes later, I was at the park waiting for Emmett.

"You're late," I grumbled as he jogged towards me.

"Sorry, Rosie, couldn't keep her hands off me this morning." He grinned wolfishly, as he shifted into a stretch. "What's got your Speedo in a knot?"

"I don't wear a Speedo. I just wish I could take back the last twenty-four hours." I mirrored his stretch.

We started running at a pace where we could still talk. The morning air was already thick with humidity, and it was already hotter than I liked for running. It was going to be a scorcher, and I dreaded having to work in it.

As we loped side by side, I told him everything, and he just nodded, his face remaining neutral.

"So what exactly are you mad at? The fact they kept it from you, that your pride was wounded, or the fact that Bella is practically using herself as a sacrifice to Renée's demands so you can keep a job?" he asked as he dodged around a post.

"Wait…what?" I stopped short as the last thing he said registered in my mind.

"Isn't that what she's doing?" Emmett jogged in place and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"I didn't even think about that," I admitted, but the puzzle pieces started to click in my head.

"I don't know for sure, but it sounds like something she would do. She was really sweet last night, she loaned me some money to cover Gran's bills once she found out about my predicament." Emmett came to a standstill.

"You asked her for money?" I was annoyed that he would take advantage of her.

"No. She insisted after making me tell her what was wrong; I tried to refuse at first, and if it were just me, I still wouldn't have taken it. Look, I agree with you that they should've told you. However, you answered my question. It's not about the fact that they didn't tell you, it's a pride thing." He looked at me.

"That's not it. I can get by on my own without her help," I refuted.

Emmett shook his head. "That's pride, and sometimes too much of it isn't always a good thing."

"Are you done? We need to finish so I can get to work." I looked away scowling.

I hated that he was right.

"Catch me if you can." Emmett took off running.

 **MuP**

By late afternoon, the heat and humidity were oppressive even under the heavy gray clouds. There was a rumble in the distance, and I hoped it meant relief would be on the way soon. Preferably after I got home from work.

The Dwyer's house was my last stop for the day. I regretted putting off vacuuming yesterday, so it had to be done today as well as checking the chemicals I parked my bike in the garage as Phil had allowed me to do, before heading around back to the pool.

I stopped short as I got closer and didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused. Bella had the pool vacuum out, and the hoses were not only hooked up wrong, but one was wrapped around her leg. She was fighting with the pole that was at least twice her height. Her hair was in a loose bun, and she was dressed in a pair of jean shorts and my old track shirt that I thought I had lost.

"You have that hooked up backward," I called out.

She jumped and whirled around so quickly that her foot got entangled in the vacuum tubes, and she tumbled into the pool. She went under and struggled to pull the hoses off her so she could surface.

"Shit!" I jumped in after her.

I wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her to the surface. She coughed a little, and I helped untangle her. Once free, she swam a few feet from me and treaded water, glaring at me—she looked like an angry, wet kitten.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, roughly pushing a strand of her hair out of her face.

"Don't I still work here?" I glared back.

"Usually, when someone tells you to take your job and shove it, it means, _I quit_." She huffed.

"Oh…" I forgot I said that in the heat of the moment. "So I take it your mother must be over the moon then." I glanced up at the house, hoping she wasn't calling the police on me.

"She doesn't know. Phil surprised her last night with a trip to Greece for a week, and they left this early this morning. No one else is here; I gave Mrs. Cope the afternoon off since it was just me." She shrugged.

"You decided to go swimming alone; don't you know how dangerous that is?"

"I wasn't planning on going in the water. You scared the crap out of me, and I fell in," she retorted.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm also sorry for last night, I should've heard you out," I apologized.

"I accept. And I'm sorry too. I was never trying to hurt you or undermine you." Her eyes dimmed, and she frowned sadly.

"Come on, let's get out of here. While I vacuum the correct way, we can talk," I suggested.

"Okay, first, I'm going to change quickly, wet jeans aren't comfortable." She swam to the edge and pulled herself out.

My eyes scanned her form, taking in how my shirt stuck to her shapely body—it was obvious that she wasn't wearing a bra. Bella had certainly matured into a beautiful woman.

Suddenly I was startled by a face full of water. Bella was sitting on the edge with her feet still in the water and a smirk on her face. I sheepishly grinned when I realized I was caught.

"I said, I was going to make myself a sandwich, would you like one, or something to drink?" She seemed nervous.

I was about to refuse, but then I realized I hadn't eaten all day in my rush to get everything done. "If it's not too much trouble that would be great."

"I'll be right back." She headed towards her house.

"Hey!" I yelled after her.

She turned and looked at me skeptically.

"Nice shirt, thief." I smirked at her.

She glanced down, and her face turned bright red. She pulled at the material trying to hide her erect nipples.

"I didn't steal it, you loaned it to me," she argued.

"A loan insinuates that you give it back at some point." I snickered.

She clutched the edge of the shirt as if it was her security blanket. "I'll give it back if you want. But I don't think it will fit you anymore." She eyed my abs appreciatively.

"You can keep it," I conceded.

She smiled shyly and hurried into the house. I sighed and went to work fixing the hoses. That girl always had the ability to turn me upside down. One minute, I was mad at her, the next, I was thinking about her in inappropriate ways.

I had no clue what I was going to do, but I knew things couldn't go back to how they were before. If what Emmett said was true then I cared too much about Bella to allow her to be used by Renée as a puppet.

 **A/N:**

 **A peek into Edward's head, did it help? He's ready to listen to Bella now, especially that Emmett was insightful about the situation.**

 **Alice and Edward's banter about him being shirtless and her being there was just playful between brother and sister, they do get along most of the time. However, yes, Alice was meddlesome, but she was only trying to help him.**

 **Bella falling into the pool wasn't the prolog, that will be coming later.**

 **Thank you for all the love and reviews you have given my story.**


	6. Chapter 5

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 5**

I showered, changed into a purple, cotton sundress, and was back in the kitchen in under ten minutes. I threw together simple, grilled chicken breast sandwiches on ciabatta bread with tomato, lettuce, and sliced mozzarella cheese. I added some kettle cooked chips since I knew that Edward liked them and a few bottles of water.

Stepping back outside was like being smothered by a heavy blanket of heat and humidity. I carried the tray down the path carefully to the pool. Edward was about mid-way through the pool and glanced up with a stoic smile.

"I was starting to think you might have changed your mind." He paused in mid-stroke.

"Sorry, the chlorine is murder on my hair if I don't wash it out right away. I also don't know my way around the kitchen, as well as I used to, so it took me a few minutes to find the chips."

"Did you just give me the _I had to wash my hair excuse_?" He blinked a few times.

My mouth popped open in shock then closed with a snap. "I guess I did," I mumbled.

Edward started laughing so hard tears came to his eyes, causing me to giggle. At least, he wasn't offended. I placed the tray down on a small table. I carried his plate over to him and offered him his sandwich. He nodded his thanks and held the sandwich in one hand as he vacuumed with the other. I glanced worriedly up at the sky as a low rumble startled me. I have hated thunderstorms since I was a little girl.

"It's still far away," Edward said softly, looking at me with concern. He must have remembered my fear.

"Maybe, you should leave before you get caught in it. This can wait."

The idea of him driving in pelting rain, thunder and lightning scared the crap out of me. I would never forgive myself if he had an accident, all because he stayed to clean a pool that didn't look that dirty.

"I'm almost done, I'll be fine. Besides, we need to talk, and I prefer not to put it off any longer." He seemed adamant.

"Where do you want to start?" I sat on the edge of my chair and nervously picked at my sandwich.

"How about we start with why you felt the need to agree to Renée's terms?" The friendliness dropped from his face.

"Let me first say that I didn't do it because I thought you weren't capable of the job or that I pitied you. I just didn't trust Renée to play fair. Awhile back I had gotten myself a job at a bookstore. I showed up the first day and was turned away. I overheard two employees saying Renee had threatened that she and her friends would boycott the establishment if I were hired—I confronted them, and they denied it. So I went to Renée, she claimed she did no such thing but then told me there was no need for me to work—I should concentrate on finding a guy to take care of me." I paused for a minute to take a sip of water.

"Somehow I'm not surprised she went that far, however, that doesn't answer my question?" Edward furrowed his brows.

"I was afraid she might do the same to you, or like what happened to Jake, the guy that mowed the lawn before you. He was very friendly with everyone, then he asked Irina out—she laughed in his face and informed him he was beneath her. The next the thing I knew, he was fired for leaving clumps of grass on the lawn. Within two weeks, he lost most of the other jobs on the street for various trumped-up reasons. Renée has always been jealous of your family—I think you already know that. I believe a part of that played into why she hired you. When she mentioned that you applied for the job, I apparently didn't hide my excitement over being able to see you again. She started talking about how you were a bad influence and she didn't want you to distract me; she informed me I was to stay away, or you would be gone," I explained.

Rather than looking satisfied, Edward looked more upset. "Did it occur to you that I could always get another job?"

"Alice said—"

His anger flared. "What did my dear, busybody sister say, besides don't tell me anything about your ridiculous deal?"

I looked guiltily down at my sandwich. "I was debating on what to say to you, or if I should even say anything. I called Alice because I thought she could help me figure out the best way to handle it. We didn't do this to hurt you but to help you. She said if I told you, that you would instantly quit, and how mowing, cleaning pools, and other odd jobs in this neighborhood was enough to cover your expenses without having to work during the school year. Plus, she pointed out, if Renée blocked me from jobs, and had a hand in having Jacob exiled, then it would most likely happen to you."

He didn't have a response but roughly picked up the equipment and stormed off toward the shed. I started to stand so I could follow him but then had second thoughts so I slumped back into my chair. Perhaps, I should give him a moment to digest the news.

Edward reappeared a moment later and silently took the seat next to me. He opened his bottle of water and downed the entire thing at once. His dark eyes remained focused on the water without glancing at me.

There was another rumble of thunder, much louder this time. The sky was darker, and the clouds were moving in fast as the wind picked up—the storm was getting closer.

Without warning, the sky opened up, and it started pouring sheets of water. We both scrambled to our feet quickly. I made a grab for the tray, but Edward grasped my hand and dragged me away from it.

"Leave it!" he hollered over the deafening sound.

We started running for the nearest shelter—the pool house. Edward had to let go of my hand to yank the door open against the wind. He followed close behind me and pulled the door shut.

The sound of the rain was now muffled, even though it was coming down even harder. Chunks of hail as big as golf balls fell from the sky and bounced on the stone patio. Thunder shook the house, and a few moments later lightning lit up the sky.

I jumped and grabbed on to Edward burying my face into his chest. His arms wrapped around me, and I felt him leading us away from the door and windows.

"Still afraid of storms I see." He chuckled dryly.

"I'm sorry." I realized I was still clinging to him and let go quickly.

We were both dripping wet once more. His hair was matted to his head, and his clothes stuck to him. My dress clung to my legs, and my sandals squished with every step. I kicked them off.

"Towels…I'll find towels."

I flipped on a light and went to the closet pulling them out so roughly that the whole pile fell to the ground. I tossed a couple to the side and tried to fix my mess. I stood and handed Edward a towel before trying dry myself off.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly while patting his chest dry. His tossed his sodden shirt by the door.

"No. I am far from okay. I haven't been okay in a long time. Maybe I should be grateful, but I never wanted any of this. I try to do the best I can, but it feels as if I lost more than I gained. I miss my friends, my crappy truck, eating things like pizza and other junk food. I also miss…" My voice caught as I started to say him. "You. I miss you the most."

"I'm right here." He started to reach for me then dropped his hand to his side.

"Except, you hate me now. One of the reasons I held on so long was to help you, but that obviously backfired on me," I choked out, wringing the towel in my hands.

"I don't hate you. I don't think I could ever hate you. I am angry and upset, but not because I hate you. This goes way beyond just keeping things from me. Emmett was right." He shook his head.

"I'm not following, what did Emmett say?" I asked, sniffling. Hopefully, my tears would be hidden by my hair dripping on my face.

"That you're following all of Renée's ridiculous demands and other shit so that she doesn't fire me. Please tell me that is not the real reason why you're still here?" he accused.

"Only part. I'm doing it for myself as well. As long as I comply with her _demands_ , as you call them, I'm able to go to school. Since she blocked my other avenues, I have to take what I can get. Once I get my degree, I can get a job that she shouldn't be able to take from me."

"Do you have any idea how crazy this all sounds?" Edward lamented. He still seemed upset but not as angry as before.

"I know Renée is demanding and hard on me. But in some twisted way, I think it's because she loves me and wants to make sure I have what she didn't have." I shrugged.

Edward snorted and shook his head. "Bella, I know she's your mother, but that's a crock of shit. I don't like how she treats you. One of the main reasons I'm so mad is that you're allowing it for my sake."

"I don't mind if it means that I help 've done it for me before—I could only misplace so many dollar bills, I know you had something to do with me finding forgotten ones. It won't be for too much longer. Just one more summer after this one." I shrugged.

"Hopefully, next year I'll have an internship and won't be here," he admitted.

"Then it's only a few more weeks."

"Bella—"

He was interrupted by a massive boom that rattled the windows and shook the pictures on the wall, followed closely by a crack of lightning that struck the ground nearby. The lights flickered then went out.

"Shit. That's too close. Is there a room without any windows or are they all like this one?" Edward asked.

"The bedroom has one regular size one," I answered.

"Let's move there," he suggested.

We started to make our way slowly across the darkened room, and I paused by the closet door.

"I saw a battery operated lantern on the top shelf along with a couple of flashlights. Phil likes to be prepared. Can you get them down, please?" I asked.

He stepped around me and opened the door. I could barely make out his arms reaching in and feeling around.

"Got it." He turned on the lantern before he handed it to me. He then located the smaller flashlights by the light.

We made our way to the bedroom and stood around awkwardly looking at one another. I became self-conscious about my clothes sticking to me like a second skin. He didn't look too comfortable in his wet shorts either.

"Oh, I know." I went to the bed and knelt down.

I reached under and pulled out a box of my old clothes that I hid from Renée out in the pool house so they wouldn't get thrown out. I popped the cover off and selected an old, band t-shirt and cotton shorts. I moved a few item aside and dug near the bottom and pulled out a pair of old pajama pants that I had borrowed from Edward on my last sleepover with Alice. I had spilled punch on mine, and he lent me them. I rarely wore them since they were so long.

"Here, I don't have a shirt that will fit you, but these should." I handed over the flannel pants.

"Exactly how much of my clothes have you stolen?" He looked amused.

"That should be it." I was glad that my blush would be hidden in the low light. "I'm going to change quickly."

I grabbed one of the flashlights and went into the bathroom. I peeled the dress off and hung it on the shower curtain rod. I dried myself the best I could before getting dressed.

When I exited the bathroom, Edward was sitting on the edge of the bed in the flannel pants. As he walked to the bathroom, he began to talk.

"Is there anyone in the house that is going to wonder what happened to you? When does Mrs. Cope get back?" he called.

"She won't be back until the morning. We don't have staff that spends the night," I answered, taking a seat on the bed.

"So you're alone every time that Renée and Phil leave?" His face was masked with disapproval as he reappeared.

"I kinda like it that way, although it can get creepy at night. I usually hide out in my room." I shrugged.

"I don't feel comfortable leaving you with the electricity out, the weatherman was talking about storms all night." Edward looked out at the heavy rain.

"You can't be seriously thinking about riding a motorcycle in this." I was flabbergasted at the mere thought. "You're staying right here."

"Is that order?" Edward raised an eyebrow, challenging me.

"If it has to be. It isn't safe, and I…Esme would be beside herself if anything happened to you."

"I guess me staying solves both problems." Edward grinned crookedly.

"I guess it does. What are the other reasons?" I asked softly.

"Other reasons?" His forehead wrinkled with confusion.

"Why you're mad at me." I bit my lip but didn't look away.

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I think I'm madder at the situation than at you or even Alice. I get that your hearts were in the right place for wanting to help. I'm also not pleased that you both kept this all from me. However, I'll admit it's my own stubbornness and pride that's getting in the way. I was determined to do this all by myself without help. Carlisle always made a big deal about putting himself through school, I wanted to show him I could do it too." He sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You think he would think less of you if you asked for help?" That didn't sound like his parents.

"No, I know he wouldn't, he's too kind-hearted for that. I also used it as an excuse not to take from them, thinking they needed the money more. But as Alice pointed out to me, I'm being absurd since Carlisle is still working as a doctor just not as a surgeon, and also, since we're out of the house Esme is working too," he admitted.

He shifted on the bed to face me. "I need you to promise me not to follow any of Renée's demands for my sake. I appreciate what you tried to do, but I don't want you getting hurt or feel overburdened for my sake."

"I'll be okay, I promise." I was determined to see this out to the end.

He raised an eyebrow then narrowed his eyes. "It has obviously taken a toll on you judging from your answer earlier when I asked if you were okay. You're not okay."

"I was feeling overwhelmed at the moment. I miss those things, true, but the goal at the end will be worth it," I said firmly.

"So stubborn." He threw his head back and groaned.

"Right back at you, Mr. Pot," I retorted.

He started laughing. "At least, you got the idom right. Alice called me a kettle."

I couldn't help but giggle. "Does that mean you agree?"

He sighed heavily. "You will let me know if it becomes too much," he stated firmly.

I nodded instead of continuing to argue about this.

"By the way, I missed you too." He smiled softly.

"So I'm still _your_ Bella." I looked up at him with hope.

"Yes, you will always be _my_ Bella." He reached for my hand.

I slipped my hand into his, and he pulled me close and hugged me tightly to him. I rested my head against his chest.

"You're still the same girl I met on the playground; the one who tackled Mike Newton to the ground when he was throwing rocks at me, trying to knock me off the monkey bars. The girl I kissed for the first time on the back of the bus on a dare. The girl, who even though she moved up a few social classes is still the sweet girl who puts others before herself." His nose brushed against my hair.

"Well, that's what you're supposed to do, take care of your loved ones." It seemed a simple solution to me.

He pulled back and cupped my cheek. "Which is why you'll always be my Bella, you think of yourself last. Which why I need to protect you from being hurt, even if it's from yourself."

He kissed my forehead.

 **A/N:**

 **Who wants to be stuck in a pool house with Edward and have to share a bed?**

 **If you saw my teaser on Facebook, then you saw the pool house. It is an upscale one that can double as a guest house. (Think of the 90's sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel Air)**

 **So they finally talked things out. I know some won't agree with Bella decisions, but she thinks it worth hanging in there for the end results.**

 **Thank you for all the Love and Reviews you have given my story.**


	7. Chapter 6

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.** **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 6**

I woke up with a start and was confused by my surroundings—after a quick glance around the room I remembered that I had fallen asleep in the pool house. Although there had been lulls between the thunder and lightning, the heavy rain continued all through the night. Instead of making a run for it, we decided to camp out here.

We…

Where was Edward?

I looked down on the empty side of the bed next to me. The only sign that showed me someone had been here was the indentation on the pillow. He had offered to sleep out in the other room on the couch, but I knew Renée had picked the furniture for looks, not comfort—the thing was as hard as a rock. So we compromised; he would sleep on one side above the covers. We spent most of the night talking until falling asleep. However, I swear that at one point his arms were wrapped around me, but perhaps that was a dream.

I checked the alarm clock to see it flashing—the power was back on, but I wasn't sure of the time. I slipped from the bed and made it up quickly before gathering my things noticing on my way out that every sign of Edward being there was now gone.

Outside was bright and sunny, the humidity was nothing compared to yesterday. I made my way to the pool remembering the plate and the sandwich that were probably destroyed by the storm. I was going to clean it up myself since it would be unfair for anyone else to do it; however, there was no sign of debris from the food, and the plate was sitting neatly on the table. The pool was sparkling, and crystal clear—Edward must have cleaned it earlier.

I heard the hum of a motor and scanned the yard to spot Edward on the lawn tractor with the attachment that vacuumed up leaves and small branches. He had already finished most the backyard.

Judging by the sun in the sky it was still relatively early so how early did he awake?

"Miss Bella, there you are. I was very worried when I couldn't find you. Were you hurt?" Mrs. Cope was standing just outside the patio door her forehead was wrinkled with concern.

"I'm fine. I was out by the pool when the storm hit, I ran for cover in the pool house since it was closer. I spent the night there after the power went out, I figured it was safer than trying to make it to the house with all the storms," I explained.

She sighed in relief. "I was concerned when I saw the broken window in your room, and you were nowhere to be found. I'm glad that you're all right. Are you hungry I can make you some breakfast?"

My stomach rumbled answering her for itself. She chuckled and nodded her head. "I'll make you one of my breakfast sandwiches and then tend to the glass in your room. I already contacted a repairman to come and replace it today.

"Thank you." I smiled at the sweet woman. I hesitated for a moment before praying she wouldn't make a big deal about it. "Would you please make another sandwich for Edward. He got caught here last night as well, and I don't think he's eaten anything before starting to work."

"Mr. Cullen was here all night?" Her eyebrows raised high on her forehead.

"Yes, and I would appreciate it if you didn't tell my mother. He stayed because he was concerned about leaving me alone with the storm and no power. Nothing happened, but Renée would make a big deal of it."

"That she would." The older woman nodded in agreement. "Very well, Miss. I'll make the boy a lunch to take with him if that's okay with you. He's sure to have a long day ahead of him."

"That would be wonderful, thank you, Mrs. Cope."

I headed up the stairs and to my room. Once there, I made my way cautiously to avoid the glass that had been splayed out onto the carpet. I changed quickly and then went to the hall closet and grabbed a dustpan and brush, as well as the vacuum. I picked up the large pieces carefully with the dust brush then ran the vacuum over the area several times until I was satisfied that I hadn't missed any.

When I returned to the kitchen, Mrs. Cope handed me a bacon, egg, and cheese on an English muffin placed on a small plate.

"Here you are, Miss. I wasn't sure if you would like me or you to bring this out to him." She pointed to a second sandwich and a small insulated bag, sitting on the counter.

"Thank you. I'll take it. I wanted to thank him again for last night." I picked up the items from the table.

"Just be careful, Miss." Mrs. Cope smiled politely.

I found Edward near the back of the property, picking up a larger branch that was too big for the mower and tossing it into the cart that was being towed from behind. He glanced up when he saw me coming and paused.

"When did you start working?" I asked casually.

Was I wrong in thinking that he should've woke me up to say he was leaving?

"I started the pool about six-thirty then the lawn, hopefully, I didn't anger your neighbors, but I have a lot of houses to get to today. My cell has constantly been ringing with everyone wanting to be first in line." He removed his sunglasses to reveal his tired looking eyes.

"You should eat to keep up your strength." I handed him my breakfast as well. I could get something else when I went back into the house. "Mrs. Cope made you a lunch to have later, too." I took the bag off my shoulder and held it out by the strap.

"You shouldn't have done that." He frowned looking at my offering.

"Why not, you couldn't have eaten since last night." My shoulders slumped.

"I mean you shouldn't have done that because what would your mother think. Remember, we're not supposed to be friends," he reiterated.

"She's in Greece, probably sitting by a pool, ironically; or shopping, how will she find out?"

"What about Mrs. Cope?" he challenged.

"She won't say anything, I asked her not to. I told her about last night, and how you stayed with me so I wasn't alone. It was her idea about the lunch. Please, take it," I pleaded softly.

"I am only trying to go by your rules. That's what's best for both of us, right?" He took the food but looked uncertain.

"I know, I just…have a good day." I turned to head back to the house feeling defeated.

Instead of it being easier to by around him, it was harder to keep my distance since I broke that invisible barrier. But at the same time, talking with him last night was my best night in a long time.

"Bella?"

I turned back to Edward, who was shifting from foot to foot. "Maybe since your mom is away you can come out to play?" he teased.

"What do you have in mind?" I tried not to look too eager. He could propose a trip to the town dump, and I would be in.

"My parents are having a barbecue tomorrow afternoon and invited some of the others. Would you like to join us?" He grinned crookedly, and my heart skipped a beat.

"I would love to be there. Can I bring anything?" I couldn't help the big smile that spread across my face.

"I'm sure just yourself would be fine. I can pick you up about eleven." His eyes looked more alert and happy.

"Is Rose going to be there? I promised her the next time I see her I would show her my car; I can meet you there," I suggested.

"Oh…yeah she'll be there." He looked slightly disappointed.

"I'll let you get back to work." I took a step back.

"Thank you. I should've said that before." He held up one of the sandwiches before taking a bite.

"You're welcome." I smiled.

 **MoU**

Sunday started off as a nice day, it was warm but no humidity and a gentle breeze. I found the ingredients and made some lemon cookies that I thought would be perfect for a summertime get together.

It felt nostalgic as I pulled up the driveway to the Cullen's house—I remembered when I thought their five bedroom was huge. Edward was out front mowing the lawn, he turned off the motor and waved to me.

"Don't you get a day off?" I asked closing the door with my hip as I balanced the tray in my hands.

He chuckled. "Not often. What kind of cookies are those?"

"Lemon, would you like to try one?" I held out the tray.

He selected one and tossed it into his mouth. "Themh gofm," he informed me with his mouth full.

"What was that?" I giggled.

He swallowed and gave me a sheepish smile. "Sorry. They're delicious.

"Phew. I haven't baked in forever so I was a little worried." I felt relieved since I had been concerned about them.

"Everyone is out back, go ahead and join them. I'll be there in a moment." He gestured to the gate.

"See you in a bit." I started to make my way when he snagged a couple more cookies. "Hey, leave some for the others," I scolded playfully while swatting at his hand.

"I can't help it, they are yummy, and as soon as you go back there, Emmett is going to be all over them." He gave me a pout looking like a little boy.

I rolled my eyes and laughed then headed for the backyard. I paused just inside the gate. Rose and Alice were sitting on the bench at the picnic table watching the Jasper and Emmett bat a ball over a volleyball net in the yard. Carlisle stood near the grill flipping the meat. Whatever it was, the smell was making my stomach growl.

He looked up and spotted me first. "Bella, great to see you, dear. Don't be shy, come join the nut house." He waved his hand for me to come.

"Hi, Dr. Cullen, it is nice to see you, again too," I greeted him politely.

"Call me, Carlisle. You're an adult now, you don't need to be so formal with me." He winked, I noticed he limped slightly on his left leg.

"Okay, Carlisle." It felt a little odd calling him that. "How have you been?"

"I'm doing well. And yourself?" He checked the underside of a steak that was on the grill.

"I've been good," I replied softly.

"Glad to hear it. Esme is inside, I know she dying to see you since Edward mentioned that you were coming." He smiled.

"I'll go say hi," I promised.

I said hello to the girls and left the cookies on the table before heading into the house. Esme was at the counter cutting vegetables, a large salad bowl sat in front of her. She didn't look as if she had aged a day since I last saw her.

"Can I help?" I asked.

She looked up and smiled brightly. "Bella, sweetheart, it's so nice to see you." She dropped the knife on the cutting board then hurried around the counter to give me a tight hug.

She pulled back and held me at arm's length. "Let me look at you. You're so grown up and beautiful," she gushed.

"Thank you. How are you, Esme?" I blushed at how adoringly she was observing at me.

"I've been great. I'm happy you that you could join us, it has been far too long." She looked a little wistful.

"I'm sorry." I felt an overwhelming surge of guilt.

"Shhh, none of that, you're here now." She squeezed my hands before letting go.

"Do you need any help in here?" I asked.

"No, I just have the salad left, and I'm almost finished with that. Thank you for offering. Feel free to use any of the rooms upstairs to change into your swimsuit, in fact, go ahead and use Edward's old one. No one goes in there since he moved out." She went back to her task, and I went up the stairs at the front of the house.

The pictures scattered on the wall of the staircase started off when we were little kids, and I was in most of them as well as Em and Rose. The last picture I was in was on my sixteenth birthday, someone managed to get a shot of Edward helping me with the necklace he gave me. I glanced with curiosity at the other pictures. One was a classic prom photo—the boys in their tuxes and the girls in beautiful long dresses. The same girl from the other night stood next to Edward.

Edward's room hadn't changed much except that it was clean and tidy. Not that Edward was a slob, but his room was never spotless either—books, shirts, and sock often littered the floor.

I tossed my canvas bag on the bed pulled off my shirt then shimmied out of my shorts. I pulled my favorite blue bikini from the bag and started to change. I was just adjusting the top when Edward burst through the door startling me—causing me to drop the strings, I hurriedly yanked the top back up to cover my breasts as Edward's eyes widened, and he spun around shutting the door quickly behind him.

"Sorry!" he yelled through the door.

I finished tying the straps in record speed and placed my folded clothes back in the bag. I went to the door and peeked out. Edward was leaning against the opposite wall staring at an invisible spot on the ceiling.

"I'm sorry. Your mom suggested I change in your old room. I didn't think about locking the door," I apologized as I took a step out into the corridor.

"Well, I'm rarely here anymore, so I guess I can see why she didn't think I would need it. I just wanted a quick shower after mowing the lawn. I promise I didn't see anything." He wouldn't quite meet my eyes.

"Oh, good." I felt the heat rising to my cheeks. "I'll see you outside."

I hurried down the stairs, out the door to join Alice and Rose, who both looked at me then at each other.

"Are you okay; you came out of the house as if it was on fire?" Alice asked cautiously.

"I'm just peachy." I nodded.

She raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing me. She glanced at Rose, who only shrugged her shoulders.

 **A/N:**

 **There will be more of the cook out next chapter.**

 **Moving on Up?** **was voted as one of the top favorite Fic Dive stories for June over at A Different Forest, thank you for all that voted for it. It's now up for Fic of the year.**

 **Thank you for all the love and reviews you have given my story.**


	8. Chapter 7

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 7**

"I love that color blue on you," Alice commented on my bathing suit. "I remember a time that I had to practically force you into a bikini. Those one pieces weren't flattering at all. This one highlights all your curves."

"Thank you, I'm glad you like it." I adjusted the top.

"I bet Edward can't keep his eyes off you when he works at your house." Rose winked and adjusted her shades so they rested at the top of her head.

"I doubt that. Is his girlfriend coming?" I asked.

"Edward has a girlfriend, and he didn't tell me? Where is he?" Alice whirled around to look behind her at the house.

"You've must have met her." I felt confused—she was in the photograph with them.

"I have?" Now Alice looked befuddled. She turned to Rose, who shrugged her shoulders.

"She was in your group prom picture in the house, and she seemed pretty cozy with Edward at the old mill. She's strawberry blonde, and about the same height as Rose," I described.

Rose gave an unladylike snort. "She's talking about Tan-ya." She said the name mockingly.

"Oh good lord, no. They aren't dating—much to Tanya's disappointment. Prom was a one-time thing. Edward wasn't going to go, but Mom is friends with Tanya's mom, Carmen, and she claimed that Tanya was in tears that no one had asked her, so Edward was volunteered." Alice rolled her eyes. "Edward was livid because he can't stand Tanya."

"That's because she is so fake, and has spread her leg for most of the male population at school; rumor includes a few teachers, too." Rose scoffed.

"Mmhmm. She didn't even leave the dance with Edward; supposedly with Mr. Jefferson, the history teacher." Alice smirked.

"Is that how she passed the class?" Rose snickered.

"So to answer your question, Tanya is not coming, and she's definitely not Edward's girlfriend. I think he is interested in someone else, that is, if he could remove the pool skimmer stick from his ass." Alice grinned wickedly, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye.

"You can't mean me." I shook my head.

"Didn't he sleep with you the other night?" Her eyes sparkled with delight.

Rose spat out her drink and her head whipped to look at me. "Wait. What?!"

"Alice is making a big deal out of nothing. He stayed because the storm was too bad to drive home in and I was scared." I rolled my eyes.

I glanced around, mortified that her parents might have heard her. Esme was off to the side of her yard watering her garden and Carlisle was still manning the grill.

"You shared a bed." She gave me a pointed look.

"How do you know this? We shared because we got stuck in the pool house, and it only has one bed," I explained.

"Your pool house has a bed? Wow, sounds fancy dancy." Rose looked impressed.

"It can be yours and Edward's love nest," Alice said dreamily.

"Well, now you made it sound kind of kinky." Rose wrinkled her nose but laughed.

"It won't be a love nest." My cheeks burned. "Just drop it please before someone hears you and assumes that..." I trailed off and shook my head.

"That you're shagging? I think that's the proper term to go with love nest." Rose was now shaking with laughter.

Alice started to giggle too, and it became infectious. Soon we were laughing so hard the boys stopped their game to stare at us. I missed that Edward had come out and joined them. I prayed that he didn't overhear us.

"All right, enough yaking, get in the pool, babes," Emmett hollered just before Jasper jumped on his back, dunking him.

Rose stopped laughing and looked irritated; she waited until he resurfaced to respond. "You didn't just call me, babe, did you?"

"Would chicks be better?" Emmett's dimples appeared as he smiled hard.

"No, not unless you want me to call you meathead," Rose retorted.

Edward snickered, tossed the ball in the air and caught it. He glanced at me and winked. He looked relaxed as if he was enjoying himself.

"Would you lovely ladies care to join us for a spot of volleyball," Jasper asked in the worst British accent I've ever heard.

Alice soaked it up and jumped to her feet hauling me with her. "Maybe later, the food is almost ready. How about a contest like the one we did when we were younger? We haven't had one in ages."

"You're on; I know I can beat you guys." Emmett's smile dropped into a serious expression.

"What kind of contest?" Jasper asked.

"We see who can hold their breath the longest underwater," Edward answered tossing the ball onto the grass. "I'm in."

"Me too." I moved to the edge and slipped into the water, which was drastically different from the air temperature.

"I'll judge like always." Rose sat on the edge and let her legs dangle in the water.

"So all we have to do is hold our breath?" Jasper checked.

"The rules are simple; we sit on the bottom and hold our breath. If any part of your body breaks the surface you're out," Emmett explained. "You're all going down."

"And you're going up, as in above the surface. Five bucks says you're the first one out," Alice challenged.

"I'll take that since you're always out first, not me." Emmett splashed her.

"What do you say, Dwyer, think you can beat me?" Edward whispered in my ear making me shiver.

"I know I can," I replied with determination.

"Want to make a wager?" He grinned crookedly.

"Depends on what the wager is." I knew better than to agree beforehand after some prior losses.

"When I win, you come out with me next weekend to the town fair." He seemed far too confident.

"Getting ahead of yourself there, Cullen. What happens when I win?" As much as the idea of the fair sounded appealing, I wasn't going to throw the contest.

"IF you win, I'll do something of your choosing." He narrowed his eyes playfully.

"You have yourself a contest," I agreed.

"Everyone ready?" Rose called from her spot, with her cell in her hand.

We spread out around the pool and eyed each other with competitive expressions. Although, Jasper looked quite amused by us.

"On my count. 3…2...1," Rose yelled.

I took a deep breath then dove down and settled myself at the bottom the best I could. I relaxed and tried to clear my mind.

I'm not sure how much time went by when I felt movement close by and figured someone was already out. Not long after that someone roughly pushed off the bottom—I had a feeling that was Emmett.

I lost all sense of time after that. After a while, I felt a tickle in my throat, and my chest started to burn. I still pressed to hold on as long as I could. All of the sudden, arms wrapped around my waist, and I was hauled to the surface.

I broke through the water and took a deep breath of fresh air before smacking my attacker.

"Cheater." I glared at Edward.

"I wasn't trying to cheat, I was starting to get worried—it's been almost four minutes." Edward brushed his hair out his concerned eyes.

I glanced around and noticed even Carlisle had come to the edge of the pool with his arms crossed over his chest, and Esme was nearby holding onto his elbow. Jasper was not too far from us also looking ready to jump in to help Edward.

"I didn't mean to worry everyone. I've been practicing." I was pleased with my best time yet, but a little apologetic that I had freaked out everyone. "Does this mean I won?"

"By about thirty-five seconds. It wasn't close, sorry, Edward." Rose didn't look apologetic at all.

"Yeah, yeah." Edward looked disappointed as he swam to the edge.

"So Alice was out first then Emmett—nothing has changed there." Rose paused to laugh. "Jasper was a rather impressive first-timer who almost beat Edward. There was less than half a second between them. But Bella kicked all of your butts."

"Well done, Bella. Everyone, the food is ready. Come and get it." Esme walked back to the table.

I swam to the side and pulled myself out. Edward stood waiting for me with a towel in hand.

"Thank you." I wiped my face then wrapped it around me. "I'm sorry, by the way."

"You're sorry for beating me?" Edward looked amused; the disappointment had faded from his eyes.

"I'm sorry for making you worry, not for beating you." I shook my head.

"That was an impressive time, I'm sorry I jumped the gun. I wonder how long you would've lasted." Edward walked next to me to retrieve his towel from a chair.

"Not much longer, I was starting to feel it," I admitted.

"So what's my punishment," he asked and nudged me with his hip.

"Aww—I hope you don't look at it as a punishment. I think you should take me to the fair. I haven't been in a long time." I bit my lip.

"I thought that was my prize," he teased. His eyes lit up, though, and I knew he was pleased with the outcome.

"Oh, I'm adding that you have to get me a fried dough, and we need to stay for fireworks," I requested.

"So demanding," Edward playfully responded.

"Come on guys before Emmett eats it all," Alice yelled to us as she slapped his hand away from something on the table.

 **MoU**

Later, after we cleaned up the food, we had a water volleyball game with Esme and Carlisle joining us. The girls won when Rose flashed Emmett for the game point. Once the game was finished, I sat with the girls on the edge of the pool and talked.

"I brought my car, Rose, so if you'd like to test drive it later, you can." I leaned back to see her on the other side of Alice.

Her eyes lit up with excitement. "I would love that."

"What's going on?" Emmett popped out of the water near us.

"Bella is going to let me drive her…" She glanced at me.

"My…uh…" I flushed.

"Her Maserati," Edward answered for me with a chuckle.

"Sweet, I want a turn!" Emmett pleaded.

"Sure." I shrugged I didn't see what the attraction was, but to each their own.

We headed into the house and changed into our clothes—this time I dressed in Alice's room to avoid any more accidental run-ins.

As we walked toward my car, Rose claimed the driver's seat first, before she and Emmett sped off.

"Would you like a turn, too?" I asked Edward. He was the only one outside with me. Jasper was helping Carlisle with his computer, and Alice was taking a shower.

"No thanks, I've driven enough of those yuppie cars. I valeted enough parties to have my curiosity quenched." He leaned against a tree in the shade.

I ran my hands along his bike's finish and traced the Harley Davidson lettering. I had seen him fly up and down the street on it. Renée thought he was reckless and called him a hoodlum. I agreed that it made him appear dangerous, but it was also alurring.

"Would you like a spin on the bike?" Edward asked casually.

"I don't how to drive one, that wouldn't be safe." I shook my head.

Edward laughed then straddled the Harley as he strapped on his helmet. "You wouldn't be driving—I would, and I promise to keep you safe."

"All right." I stepped closer to him.

"Hold on." He reached behind him and unhooked a smaller helmet off the back.

"Here, you can borrow Alice's, she won't mind." He placed it on my head then snapped the straps together. His fingers grazed my cheek for a moment longer than necessary. "Is that too snug?" He cleared his throat roughly.

"No, it feels fine."

He kick started the bike and nodded his head to the back. "Climb on and hold me tightly; lean like I do, and don't fight it," he instructed.

I obeyed and wrapped my arms around his waist—his muscles felt firm, and I fought the urge not to caress them. I shifted myself so I was sitting as close as possible, which resulted in me pressing my chest into his back. He breathed in sharply then revved the engine.

He took off suddenly, which startled me a bit. He went at an easy pace, which was probably for my benefit since I've seen him drive much faster. After the first stop sign, he sped up, and it felt like we were flying. I squealed with delight and could feel him chuckle.

We went about two blocks before returning to his parent's house. Em and Rose were already there. However, it concerned me to see that they had the car up on tire ramps.

"Is there something wrong?" I climbed off the bike as soon as Edward parked. I stumbled, and he was quick to steady me.

Rose rolled out from underneath the car and sat up on Edward's old skateboard. "Your breaks were acting funny so I thought I should take a look. The pads are almost down to the metal," she explained.

"How can that be? It's a brand new car she's had it less than a month." Edward furrowed his eyebrows.

Rose shrugged looking irritated. "I don't know. Maybe it was a shady dealership? The rest of the parts look brand new, but it wouldn't hurt to get it checked over."

"Can I bring it to you tomorrow?" I asked, trusting her to look at it for me.

Rose shook her head. "I don't think you should be driving it at all, it isn't safe. Have it towed to Emmett's new shop tomorrow. They've dealt with sports cars before, and would have better connections to parts if you need them."

"I'll take care of it for you, Bells," Emmett promised.

"Can you take a picture of the pads while they're still in and then hold on to them for me after they're removed?" I was upset that the dealership would try something so underhanded and wanted to hold them accountable. I knew Phil would help me with the proper avenues once he returned from Greece.

"Yes, ma'am. I can give you a deposition if you plan to sue. I'm sure Rose will too." Emmett winked.

"I plan to do that. Thank you both." I smiled.

I turned and saw Edward staring at the car with a worried expression. One of his fists were clenched at his side.

"What's wrong?" I nudged him with my elbow.

"You could've been seriously hurt. I'm glad you're going to have it looked into." He ran his hand through his hair roughly.

"I will as soon as Phil is back to help me. He was the one that dealt with the dealership in the first place."

Now that I'm unable to drive it, can you give me a ride home," I asked?

He gave me a gentle smile. "Of, course, let me know when you're ready to go."

 **A/N:**

 **A little fun with the Cullens and friends. It is possible with practice for Bella to hold her breath for that long. Did you know the world record for holding your breath underwater is 24:03 minutes by Aleix Segura Vendrell?**

 **Now you know that girl was Tanya and she isn't Edward's girlfriend. I know a few of you were wondering about her.**

 **More to come. Thank you for all the love and reviews you have given my story.**


	9. Chapter 8

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 8**

 **BPOV**

We stayed at the Cullen's until the early evening. I didn't want to rush away since it had been such a long time since I had seen them. Esme told me about the florist shop she was working at, and how she enjoyed putting arrangements together for different events. Carlisle had found working at the clinic less stressful, and he had more free time, though he did miss the excitement of the operating room at times.

After a simple dinner of leftovers, I turned to Edward and mentioned that I should probably be heading back. I knew he started his days early which most likely meant he went to bed early. He agreed, and I made a round of good-byes before following him outside.

"Wait!" Alice rushed out of the house after us.

Jasper trailed out behind her and caught the screen door before it slammed. She stopped in front of us and bounced on her toes in the grass. It had to be something important for her to run out of the house barefoot like that. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were bright.

"What's wrong," Edward asked, looking concerned. He must be on the same page as me.

"You should trade vehicles with Jasper. If you're going to continue to let Renée think that the two of you aren't friendly, Bella can't show up at her house on the back of your bike," she answered breathlessly.

I was about to answer that Renée was in Greece so it shouldn't be a problem. However, I remembered that my street was filled with busybodies, who would have nothing better to do than to gossip about me being on the back of the pool boy's bike.

I glanced at Edward, who looked as if he was contemplating the idea. "She may have a point. If Irina or her mother spots us, it would be all over the neighborhood before sunrise tomorrow."

"You don't mind?" Edward looked over Alice's head at Jasper.

"Not if you don't. But you haven't heard half of Alice's kooky plan. The grass is all yours, darlin'." Jasper tossed Edward his set of keys while giving Alice an endearing look.

"Isn't he just the cutest," Alice cooed, her eyes momentarily glazed over.

"Oh yeah, he's the cutest, especially when he snores loud enough that I can hear him through the walls," Edward commented dryly.

"I wasn't talking to you." Alice stuck out her tongue childishly.

"He's adorable, Alicat." I tried not to laugh at the two of them.

She beamed happily. "That's why he should be your boyfriend."

"Wait…What?" I blinked in confusion.

"Hold on…what are you smoking?" Edward sounded upset.

"Alice, you can't give Jasper away like a sweater." Rose snickered.

I noticed for the first time that she and Emmett joined us. Emmett was laughing so hard tears came to his eyes. Jasper just shook his head with an amused smile.

Alice rolled her eyes dramatically. "Duh. I know that. It won't be for keeps—hear me out. I think Jasper should pose as your boyfriend in front of Renée. She has no clue he is linked to us, and she'll love that the Whitlocks are very well off … that they're just dripping in oil in the big state of Texas. If she thinks that you're dating someone she'd approve of, then she won't set you up on any more dates with any more Kens."

"I don't know, Alice, sounds like too much lying to me. I can't ask that of Jasper or you." I side-glanced at Edward.

His face was blank, and I couldn't register what his thoughts were on her nutty plan. However, the rest of his posture looked tense.

"You don't have to ask, it was my idea. I thought about it ever since the night you showed up at the mill after your horrendous date. I even talked about it with Jasper; I wouldn't have suggested if he wasn't comfortable with the idea."

I glanced at him for confirmation. He nodded his head sharply, but his smile was genuine.

"I know that you're in a tough pickle with your Ma. I'd be happy to help out a good friend of Alice and Edward's. The way I figure, I would only have to meet your mom a handful of times. I could pick you up for _dates_ , but then you can go do whatever you want, with anyone you want." His eyes flickered to Edward.

"I still don't know if it's a good idea. Thank you for the offer, but I have to think this over and get back to you." I gave them a hesitant smile.

"Oh course, no pressure," Jasper agreed and gave Alice a pointed look when she seemed ready to argue.

"Right, no pressure," she sighed in agreement.

 **MoU**

We arrived back at the house a short time later, and I opened the garage door from my cell phone as Edward pulled Jasper's car inside. He turned off the motor, walked around to the side and opened the door for me.

"Thank you. Would you like to come in or do you need to get going?" I shamelessly didn't want him to leave yet.

"I'll come in; I have something I wanted to talk to you about." He shoved his hands into his pockets.

I unlocked the door and turned off the alarm. I was grateful he said yes, it sometimes spooked me coming home to an empty house.

"Would you like the grand tour?" I asked.

"Sure, am I allowed to take pictures," he teased.

"Pictures are allowed, but I'm afraid everything is hands off," I joked.

"Everything?" Edward raised an eyebrow and looked at me with hooded eyes.

I flushed and stuttered. "Well, maybe not everything. Uh…that's a closet." I pointed quickly, hoping he didn't notice how flustered he made me.

I turned brighter red when Edward started laughing at me.

"Is that where you keep the dead bodies?" He looked amused.

"Not yet." I narrowed my eyes at him.

He stifled his laughter, and we continued on down the hallway. I pointed out several rooms to him, and he nodded politely. He didn't speak again until we got to the living room.

"Geesh, the no touching thing makes sense. With the exception of Phil's office, it looks more like a museum than a home. I can't picture you in this room curled up watching a movie." Edward frowned at the stiff, white, Victorian sofa.

"That's because I don't. In fact, I think that television has only been used once for a Super Bowl party." I shook my head looking at the gigantic, wide screen television mounted on the wall.

"Renée threw a Super Bowl party?" Edward scoffed.

"Phil wanted one, and Renée conceded when he bought her the diamond necklace she wanted with matching earrings."

Edward grimaced but remained quiet at my explanation. His eyes scanned the room and then widened when they fell on the mantle.

Crap! I forgot about that.

"Is that an oil painting of you?" He took several large steps to examine it closer.

I groaned and hurried to catch up with him. "Yes. Now, moving on." I grabbed his arm and tugged on it, but he remained steadfast.

"Are you wearing a tiara?" His face broke out into a broad cheeky grin.

"Yes. In the next—"

"Hold on, what was this for?" His eyes remained locked on the picture.

"Renée had it commissioned when I turned eighteen, and I had a 'coming out' to society," I finally admitted.

It was about that time when Renée had become more demanding about every little thing I did. Where most kids were getting their freedom, she was trying to put me on lockdown. The Debutante Ball was the first time she ever used the ploy 'after everything I have done for you.'

I was brought out of my thoughts by a flash. Edward was holding up his cell phone and taking a photo of the painting.

"What are you doing?" I scowled at him.

"You said that pictures were allowed. I'll have to take it again; there was a glare from the flash." He glanced at down at his screen with an evil grin.

"Don't you dare." I made a grab for the phone, but he had the advantage with his height and kept it out of reach.

"Much better." He seemed pleased with the results and slipped it into the front pocket of his jeans. "So what room is next?" He gave me an angelic look.

"Our dining room, which is right through here." I led him through the wooden French doors.

"How often is this room used?" Edward ran his hand along the long mahogany table.

"Quite often, Mother dearest loves to host dinner parties. She even tried to have former, President Bush to dinner when she heard he was in Kennebunkport." I hesitated at another door.

"Did he come?" Edward looked interested.

"No, apparently Renée isn't as important as she thinks," I mused. "We can only peek into the Ballroom. Renée will flip out on Mrs. Cope if there is so much as a smudge on the floor." I opened up another set of french doors.

"Your mother reminds me of that rich grandmother from that show you and Alice used to watch." Edward shook his head.

"I think Emily Gilmore was easier to please." I snorted. "Through here is the kitchen, which is probably the only room I spend any time in on the first floor."

"Esme would love this kitchen. However, make sure you keep Alice out of it or you may be repainting your ceilings." Edward surveyed the room.

"Would you like anything to eat or drink?" I asked.

I went over to the fridge and pulled out a Cherry Coke for myself then glanced at Edward behind me. He reached for a beer then stopped and ran his hand through his hair.

"Go ahead, Phil wouldn't even notice," I encouraged.

He grabbed the Sam Adams and twisted the top off then tilted the beer drinking about half. Realizing that I was staring, I closed the fridge quickly and stepped away from him.

"Are you above using the servant stairs, or should we go back to the front of the house?" I cleared my throat roughly.

"You have servant stairs?" Edward's lips twitched before he took another swallow.

"Or so I've been told when I'm scolded for using them." I laughed before taking a sip of soda.

"Actually, the upstairs are just bedrooms so we could probably skip that part of the tour." I sat on the edge of stool and placed my can down on the counter.

Edward finished off his beer then handed me the bottle with a mischievous grin. "I wanted to see your room."

Without waiting for an answer, he went up the steps. I hurried after him, praying I didn't leave anything embarrassing on the floor or bed. Edward stood in the hallway looking up and down.

"My room is that one." I pointed to my closed door.

He turned the knob and stepped inside the dark room. I flipped the switch on the wall and stood in the doorway.

"Now this looks like a room someone actually lives in—this has you written all over it." He walked over to the windows and started to examine them. "Which one was broken during the storm, I noticed it when I was cleaning up the yard."

"The one to your right. I'm glad I wasn't in here when it happened—it would've scared me to death." I shivered at the thought.

"Was this the only one damaged?" He glanced out the window to the small balcony that I never used. "I wonder what caused it?"

"My guess would be a hail stone. There was nothing in the room but broken glass when I cleaned the mess."

"Hmm." He turned back, and his eyes gazed over the room.

"So you mentioned you had something you wanted to talk to me about, or was that just an excuse to come inside?" I took a seat on my bed.

"It wasn't an excuse." He joined me on the bed and picked up my hand. He gave it a soft squeeze before letting them rest together on top of my bedspread.

"Have you ever thought about trying to find your father?" he asked cautiously.

"I don't have a father—I have a sperm donor who abandoned me before I was born," I exclaimed defensively.

I tried to take my hand back, but he held on tight, however, he was careful not to hurt me. He watched me with a calculated expression and seemed to be thinking carefully about his response.

"Is that what Renée told you or did you hear those words from the man himself?" He appeared to weigh his words carefully.

I took a slow, deep breath. I knew he wasn't trying to upset me. "Renée first told me when I was getting my driver's license. I saw his name on my birth certificate and confronted her since she had told me before that he was just a one-night stand. She confessed that he had abandoned her when she found out she was pregnant with me—she appeared really hurt by it."

"His name was on the birth certificate?" Edward sat up and looked confused. "I'm pretty sure that by law, you can't put a father's name on the birth certificate of a baby born out of wedlock without the guy signing it himself. That may be a newer law though, I'll have to check."

"So then he abandoned my mother and me after birth. I don't think that's much different." His point only made me feel worse; my father saw me then walked away.

He cupped the hand he was holding in both of his. "I'm not trying to upset you. Hear me out, and then if you want to tell me to fuck off, I will. I think you should try and find him. After witnessing how Renée treats you—I wouldn't put it past her to have lied to you about him. What if she's been keeping you from him all these years because of her vindictiveness."

His points had some potential, and I wouldn't put it past Renée at all. But there was still one factor that made me wonder. I don't ever recall him fighting for me, or even reaching out to me. As far as I knew, he didn't even pay child support.

"The worst that can happen is that you find out that Renée was telling the truth. Best case scenario, you gain a father who may offer a solution to escaping her." He slid closer and wrapped his arm around me.

"I don't even know where to start?" I rested my head on his shoulder.

"Do you have a name?" I felt his finger brush my back then twirl my hair.

"Charles Swan."

"Then that's a start. We can search for him over the internet. Jasper is pretty good with technology and will help us."

I stood and walked around the room as I contemplated. I spun around and faced him. "Okay, I want to try and find my father."

"Great, I'll talk to Jasper once I get back so he can get started right away." Edward stood. "I also think you should consider taking him up on Alice's idea."

"That just seems excessive and unnecessary." I shook my head in refusal, the idea weirded me out.

Edward walked closer until he was right in front of me. "I think it has its advantages. I would like to take you out to more than just the fair."

"I feel as if we're asking a lot of Jasper." I hesitated, my head was getting clouded with him so close.

"Naw, he enjoys this stuff. He's been thinking about being in the FBI or a private investigator so he would consider it training." Edward shrugged off my concern.

"As long as Jasper is really okay with it, I suppose we can give it a go," I agreed.

Edward smiled then kissed my forehead. "I'll talk to him and make sure Alice didn't coerce him into it. I should be going, will you be okay here alone?"

"I always am," I answered trying to put on a brave front.

"Call me if you need anything, and make sure you set the alarm after I leave." He looked concerned.

"I will. I'll walk you to the car." I wanted every moment I could get with him.

He took my hand as we made our way down the hall and to the stairs. We parted at the door to the garage, and he stood in front of me. He glanced briefly at my lips then quickly away.

He cleared his throat and rolled his neck stretching it. His green eyes softened "Have sweet dreams tonight, I'll see you around." He backed away then bumped into the side of the car.

"Good night. Drive safe." I watched him get in and drive away until I could no longer see his taillights.

 **A/N:**

 **So is Alice's plan a good one or will it backfire? What do you think about Edward encouraging her to look up Charlie?**

 **For those who may not know, Emily Gilmore is from the sitcom Gilmore Girls. She mother/grandmother of the two main characters. She had high standards, and it was a running joke that she couldn't keep a maid for more than one episode.**

 **Thank you for all the love and reviews you have given my story.**


	10. Chapter 9

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 9**

 _I sat and the_ _edge_ _of the lounge and_ _tried_ _to rub sunblock on my body. I stretched my arm behind me but_ _was having difficulties reaching the center of my back._

" _Would you like some_ _help?" a_ _familiar voice called._

 _I turned to see Edward, was using the pool skimmer only a few feet away. His focus was on_ _me,_ _however, as he peered over the top of his sunglasses. I glanced quickly at the house to make sure the gardener who Renée had hired to take care of the flower beds and shrubs wasn't around—he was nowhere in sight._

" _Aro left for the day." His warm, velvety voice sounded closer._

 _He grabbed the bottle out and squirted the white cream into his tanned hand. His palm felt warm as he rubbed my back in small circular motions. I lifted my hair up, and my eyes fluttered closed._

 _I was consciously aware when he slipped under the material of my bikini and cupped my breast. My breath_ _hitched,_ _and a small moan slipped from my lips as his fingers brushed my peaks. His soft lips grazed my shoulder then lightly kissed my neck._

A loud ringing made me shoot straight up in bed. My heart raced, and I blinked furiously as I tried to figure out why I was no longer by the pool.

It was a dream.

My cell phone started ringing again, and I grabbed and silenced it. Why in the hell was Renée calling me this early?

"Hello?" My voice was still thick with sleep.

"Isabella, are you still sleeping? You're wasting the whole day." Renée sounded irritated.

"Mom, it's five in the morning here?" I yawned.

"Oh, I forgot about the time change."

I rolled my eyes and closed them again as I fell back against my pillows.

"Isabella, are you listening to me?"

"Sorry, I'm still half asleep," I mumbled.

"Well, I wanted to know your explanation for running out on that nice young man in the restaurant. I thought I raised you better than that," she snapped.

"You did raise me better than that. He disappeared into the closet with the hostess and our waitress. One, I didn't think I would be missed, and two, I deserve more respect than that." I was even grumpier now.

"I think your imagination is working overtime. You don't know that happened in there." I could practically hear her rolling her eyes.

"He was zipping up his fly and the other two bimbos were fixing their clothes and hair as they walked out— it doesn't take a genius to figure it out what happened."

"Well, what are your plans for the week?" She changed the subject as if the first never occurred. "I hope you're not going to hide out in the house."

"Well, I planned on visiting the girls, also a shopping trip on Thursday—possibly to Boston," I answered.

"Wonderful, don't forget to get a formal dress for Claire and William's anniversary, that's coming up," she reminded me.

"I won't." I dreaded their party.

Every year it was over the top, and the most ridiculous fanfare I have ever seen; and all for two people that weren't even faithful to each other. I wondered if I could fake a headache or an injury to get out of attending.

"Mom, is Phil around? I need to talk to him." I yawned.

"No, he went fishing with the local fisherman." She sounded disgusted. "What do you need him for?"

I hesitated and then decided to wait—she would only rant and rave about the car. "It can wait. Tell him I said hi. I'm going back to bed now; enjoy the rest of your vacation." I hung up and turned off my phone before she could respond.

 **MoU**

I was able to get a couple more hours of shut-eye before my alarm woke me. The first thing I did was arrange for my car to be taken to Clearwater Auto. Esme had the morning free, so she told me she would be there to greet the tow truck.

After I had gotten off the phone, I debated what to do with my day. I usually spent Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the town recreational center helping with the children's program; however, it was too far for me to walk. I remembered the card from James and decided to see if he was available to give me a ride. He promised me that he would be there in about fifteen minutes, allowing me enough time to throw a bag together.

"Here we are." He pulled up to the curb and shifted into park.

"Thank you so much. Would it be too much to ask for you to come back at three to pick me up?" I asked shifting the straps on my shoulder.

"Not a problem; for you, I'll be here." He grinned as I handed him some cash for the fare.

I entered the building, and kids were running everywhere, poor Angela looked frazzled. She beamed when she saw me walking towards her.

"Bless you for being here. I don't know if there's a full moon, or if something is in the water, but everyone has gone bonkers today. Also, Katie and Eric both called out." She shifted a small boy on her hips. Her nose wrinkled, and she grimaced. "I'll be right back."

"Miss Bewa." A small girl with red hair and deep blue eyes with tears in them, wrapped herself around my legs.

"What's wrong, Kimmy?" I stroked her head and knelt down to her level.

"Jared is being mean to me." Her lower lip wobbled.

"He pulled her hair hard and told her no one liked her." Emily, a small brunette about the same age, ran up to hug her friend. "I like you, Kimmy. Don't listen to him."

"Jared, come here," I called him over.

"Meanie." Emily stuck out her tongue at him then ran back across the room to the arts and crafts.

He came over as slow as possible, dragging his feet and with a big scowl on his face. "I didn't do nutin, she's a whiny baby." He glared at her.

"That's enough. Please apologize to your sister," I insisted.

"She's not my sister, and never will be. Mom and Dad will never adopt you," the eight-year-old stated.

Kimmy's tears overflowed and ran down her cheeks. Jared's scowl faltered, and he instantly looked guilty. He peered down at his feet and shuffled them against the linoleum floor.

"Jared, that wasn't nice. I think you know that you owe Kimmy an apology. I don't believe that you honestly think that," I encouraged softly.

He shrugged his shoulders in defeat. I knew that he had been adopted too, and I wondered if that had anything to do with what was going on with his behavior.

"Listen to me, guys. Your parents will have enough love for both of you. Instead of thinking that having a sibling as a bad thing, think of it as having another person to care about you, and one who will always be there for you," I advised.

"She hogs all their attention," Jared grumbled.

"I don't mean to," Kimmy whispered.

"I'm sorry if you're feeling left out, Jared. I'm sure your mom and dad aren't trying to make you feel that way on purpose. Instead of taking it out on Kimmy, I think you should tell them about it," I suggested.

"Okay." He nodded slowly then apologized without any prompting. "Sorry, Kimmy."

"It okay." She gave him a watery smile.

"What's wrong?" Angela came back and sat little Quil on the ground.

"I think we got it all sorted it out. Right?"

The kids nodded, and Jared went back to his friends who were playing H.O.R.S.E. on the opposite side of the room. Kimmy went to join her friend, Emily. Once they were out of earshot, I spoke to Angela about what happened. She promised to give their parents a heads up.

After lunch, I read _Anne of Green Gables_ to a bunch of the kids _._ I'll admit that part of the reason I chose it was that I thought Kimmy would like to hear about another redheaded orphan.

 **MoU**

I had heard from Emmett before I left for the day that my car was ready, so I had James drop me off at the garage. It was a newer looking garage, with cement walls painted white on top with a blue bottom. On two sides, there were four bays, giving them eight in all. The waiting room was clean and looked inviting with a big flat screen TV on the wall with the game on.

"Hey ya, Bells!" Emmett greeted me loudly from across the garage.

Quite a few of the other workers looked up and over at me, causing me to blush from all the attention. All of them seemed fairly young and were wearing the same blue overalls. Thankfully, they went back to work rather quickly.

"Hi, Emmett." I waved back.

A guy, who appeared to be in his thirties walked up to the counter as he wiped his hand on an oil-stained cloth. "I guess I don't have to ask who you are, and what car's yours. I'm Seth Clearwater and welcome to Clearwater Auto shop." He chuckled.

"Nice to meet you, Seth. You're right, Emmett has made that pretty obvious, who I am." I smiled shyly.

"We looked at your car and with the exception of the brake pads it's in mint condition." Seth drummed his finger on the counter and looked like he wanted to say something more.

"Would you agree that seems suspicious? I've only had the car for a month," I asked.

"Do you have a habit of riding your brake?" he questioned.

I shook my head. He sighed and rubbed his chin. He signaled to Emmett, who grabbed a bag off a workbench and headed towards us.

"Yes. I agree that it's very shady, and should be brought to the attention of the dealership. That car should never have left their lot in that condition. It wouldn't be the first time a customer was hustled and sold old parts so the newer ones could be sold on the Internet or off the back of the truck. Being a high-end dealership, they most likely have a crooked mechanic that they should be made aware of. Emmett said you were going to file a formal complaint?" Seth tapped away on his computer keyboard.

"I'm going to, I was just waiting for my step-father to get back from vacation since he was the one that purchased the car for me," I answered.

"Good. Here is a testimonial of what we observed in the shop and the work done on the car in case they should give you any trouble." He grabbed a paper off the printer and signed it.

"I'll send you the pictures too, as you asked, with the defective pads still in the car." Emmett walked behind the counter.

Seth handed it over to me then took the bag from Emmett. He reached in and pulled out another Ziploc bag with two metal objects inside. "These are what the pads look like. As you can see, they're almost down to the metal—the pad should be about this thick." He showed me with his fingers.

"Wow, that's a big difference," I grumbled. "How much do I owe you?"

"This is a breakdown of parts and labor. We are looking at one hundred and ten dollars." Seth slid another sheet to me.

I glanced at it and handed over my card. "Thank you for taking me in on such short notice and getting it done so quickly."

Seth gave me a friendly smile. "Happy we could be of help. Emmett was very concerned and insisted on handling it personally; the others were jealous that I let the new guy work on such a sweet ride."

"Thank you, Em." I beamed up at him.

He gave me a dimply grin. "Anytime, Bells." Then headed back to work.

 **MoU**

Tuesday was a slow day; I spent the morning reading then headed over to Irina's pool. I knew that hanging around the bitch twins at least once a week kept Renée off my case.

I also happened to know that Tuesday afternoon Edward was at her house to clean the pool.

The Denali pool, if you can call it that, was gorgeous, and Renée was insanely jealous. It was created to look more like a natural body of water, complete with a fake waterfall with a hot tub attached.

Irina was already in a lounge chair using one the reflecting boards to shine more light on her. Heidi, like always, was immersed in her cell phone. I spotted Edward on the waterfall scrubbing down the rocks.

I dropped my bag next to a chair under an umbrella and kicked off my flip-flops. "Afternoon, girls." I took my seat.

"Hi," Heidi mumbled distractedly.

"Isabella, fancy seeing you here." Irina didn't look at me either.

"Well, what can I say, I was bored and thought I pay you a visit." I smiled sweetly.

"Yes, I'm sure it was me you were dying to see." Irina smirked. "I'm going to New York this week for a dress, should I even bother to ask if you're in?"

"Actually, I was headed to Boston on Thursday." I took a seat and started to smear cream on my arms.

"Boston?" Irina wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"I'll be going to Boston myself this weekend," Heidi mumbled.

"Yes, you seem to go there a lot, whatever do you find to do there?" Irina narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

As I moved on to my legs, I spotted 'Ken' walking our way in a tiny speedo that he most definitely should not be wearing. I had to wonder what those girls saw in him; he might have been fit but looked like a skinny pansy when he stood close to Edward.

What was he doing here?

I glanced away and busied myself looking for my water. I just arrived so I couldn't have a valid excuse for leaving just yet. Maybe, I would luck out, and he wouldn't remember me.

"Ri, Di and look it's Izzy, too. I should name you ladies, Triple E." He laughed at his own joke.

I wasn't sure what was worse, Isa or Izzy.

"Austy, you're so funny." Irina giggled.

She flew from her seat and ran over to him then jumped up to wrap her legs around his waist. They quickly pecked lips, and he squeezed her ass before he set her on her feet. He took a step back then grabbed her boobs giving them a jiggle.

"The doctor did excellent work; you can hardly see a scar." He winked at her.

Eww, gross. But I guess the two deserved each other. Together they looked like Ken and Barbie.

"That's just so wrong." Heidi looked disgusted.

I glanced at her as I took a sip, and she leaned closer to me.

"You do know that they are first cousins, right?" she whispered.

I spat out my water and started to cough. Heidi was correct, that was incredibly creepy. Unfortunately, my coughing fit attracted everyone's attention; even Edward, who paused to look over in concern.

"Wrong pipe," I explained hastily. "I'm sorry, but did you just refer to us as a virus?"

"What are you talking about, who referred to who as a virus?" Irina looked confused.

"Triple E or Eastern Equine Encephalitis is a virus, usually contracted by a mosquito bite," I explained.

Edward went back to work, but I could see his shoulders shake with silent laughter. I had to stop looking at him or Irina would notice.

"Double gross," Heidi mumbled and went back to her phone.

"Isa, I forgot how funny you were. Like your little stunt the other night. I think you're a little tease." Austin's eyes scanned my body, making me shiver.

"Well, I don't think you'd want to know what I think about you. Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's bad manners to hook up with another girl, let alone two, while you're on a date?" I retorted.

Irina looked back and forth between us, with a scowl etched on her face, and her arms crossed in front of her. Heidi's eyes were filled with curiosity as she looked up from her phone again. However, I couldn't help but notice that Edward's focus was on us too, and he looked pissed. His knuckles were almost white as he clutched the vacuum pole.

"Sounds like you're jealous. I'll tell you what. I'll take you to dinner tonight…no wait…tomorrow night." His charming smile looked forced.

"Sorry, I have plans." I shrugged.

"Austy is going be President of United Stated one day, you shouldn't refuse him. You should be grateful that he is even giving you a second chance." Irina rubbed her cousin's chest tenderly and shot me a look of contempt.

Her tone and insinuation irritated me, while her actions turned my stomach. Who were they to assume I was below them? I caught Edward's eyes behind them, and he was giving me a pointed look. That's when I remembered something…Or I should say, someone, I could use to my advantage.

"Sorry, but I already have a date. It would be rude to cancel last minute."

"With who?" Irina demanded to know.

"Jasper Whitlock."

"Never heard of him." Irina looked at her nails.

"Well, he's from Texas and is up here for school," I explained.

"Like Whitlock as in Whitlock Oil?" Ken…I mean Austin looked flabbergasted.

"Is he cute?" Heidi asked.

"Very," I answered with a large smile.

Irina had the look of a toddler who had a toy taken away. Her cousin was now focused on Heidi's breasts. Irina's head looked around furiously and then a large smirk appeared on her face.

She raised her hand above her head and snapped her fingers. "Pool Boy."

I opened my mouth to tell her his name was Edward when I felt Heidi's hand on my arm. She shook her head very lightlyand mouthed 'don't.'

Flustered I kept my mouth shut.

"Yes, Miss," Edward said with forced politeness.

"After you're done there, the fountain out front could use a scrub, but before that I want you to rub lotion on me." She looked over her shoulder at me.

"I can clean the fountain, but I'm sorry; rubbing lotion isn't in my job description." Edward's smile was tight.

"If I want you to rub me, then, you'll rub me, or I'll tell my daddy." Irina placed a hand on her hip.

"Careful, Irina, that sounds a lot like sexual harassment. You wouldn't want what happened with your driver to happen with Edward," Heidi spoke up while she tapped at her screen.

"Whose side are you on?" Irina turned and hissed, her face was bright red.

"Yours, dear, I'm trying to save you from an another lawsuit." Heidi sounded board.

"She's got a point. I'll rubbed the lotion on you." Austin leered at her.

"Okay." Irina sighed.

"You know what, I forgot about an appointment." I didn't want to be anywhere near these two anymore.

"Can I catch a ride?" Heidi was on her feet too.

I was starting to see another side of Heidi, and she didn't appear as bad as I thought. She did…in a way defend Edward and stop me from falling into a trap Irina was setting for me.

"Sure," I agreed.

We walked quickly to the front and got into my car as my phone dinged with a message from Edward.

 **E: So where am I taking you?**

 **A/N:**

 **Are you surprised how Bella spends most her summer days? Could what Seth guessed be really what happened to her car?**

 **Looks like we may squeeze a date in before the fair.**

 **Thank you for all the love and reviews you have given my story!**


	11. Chapter 10

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 10**

 **EPOV**

After I finished for the day, I sped back to my apartment to shower and change. I couldn't pick up Bella when I was sweaty and smelly after working outside all day. I redressed in a polo shirt and khaki shorts.

I was looking forward to my date with Bella. I quickly seized the opportunity when she gave it as an excuse not to go out with Austin St. Marks. He was an insufferable jackass, and I wanted to know more about that story, how she was set up with him in the first place.

I enjoyed spending time with Bella at my parents' house on Sunday; she seemed to be more relaxed and carefree than I had seen her in a long time. Tonight, it would be just the two of us, and I planned to take her for pizza and mini-golf. Nothing fancy, however, she had expressed missing those things.

"Thank you," I called to Jasper as I grabbed his keys off the counter.

"Happy to help. See if Bella knows any more information on her father to help narrow down the search." He looked up from his computer screen.

"What kind of information are you looking for?" I asked.

"Approximate age, and state would be helpful. The more information, theshorter I can make my list. There are over three hundred records for Charles Swan from ages forty to sixty." He grimaced slightly.

"Will do," I shouted on my way out the door.

Bella must have seen me arrive since the garage door opened as I pulled up the driveway. She came through as I stepped out of the car.

"Hi." She smiled sweetly, looking beautiful in her casual dress. I noticed the necklace I gave her was around her neck.

"Hey, I see you're not one of those girls who are going to keep me waiting," I teased.

"I just need you to pause in the driveway for me to turn on the security system," she answered.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to have it off when you're home alone." My smile immediately dropped as I opened the passenger door.

"It's usually off during the day. We only turn it on if we're gone at night, or after we go to bed. Besides, the cameras would've caught you," she explained, shrugging her shoulders.

I was still uneasy. I wasn't quite as convinced as Emmett's boss that it was a dirty mechanic who messed with the brakes, and her broken window continued to bug me. They were plausible excuses, but something just felt rotten. Hopefully, I was just paranoid.

I caught her arm before she could sit. "I just worry about you being left alone, it isn't safe."

"You're sweet, but I'm okay." She reached up and kissed my cheek.

"By the way, you look beautiful tonight," I smiled as I let it go—I didn't want to start off tonight with an argument.

She brushed the skirt of her dress, blushed lightly and her eyes sparkled. "Thank you; it isn't too dressy is it?"

"Not at all," I replied.

I backed out and paused so that Bella could turn everything on with her phone. I wondered how safe that was. I would have to as Jasper if he knew anything about the system she had.

"We are all set; where are you taking me?" Bella turned in her seat.

"I thought pizza and then mini-golf, or we can go play before we eat."

"Eat, first, please; it has been a busy day, so I didn't get a chance to have a full meal yet." As if on cue her stomach rumbled. Her eyes widened, looking horrified.

I chuckled. "What were you doing that you forgot to eat?"

"I help out down at the rec center three days a week with the children's' program."

Her answer surprised me or maybe it didn't—I recalled her babysitting around the neighborhood before she left, and she always seemed to enjoy it.

"I'm surprised Renée lets you," I scoffed.

"Well… she doesn't fully know. As long as I hang out with Heidi or Irina a couple times a week, she doesn't seem to question me. She knows I volunteer at times, which Phil helped me talk her into, but doesn't know exactly how much time I spend there." She looked slightly guilty.

"Tell me more about Phil? When did Renée marry him?" I was apprehensive of the man. After Bella had said he was the one that chose the car for her.

"He's an only child, his parents died in a car crash when he was in college. He once dreamed of playing pro-ball, but he blew out his knee his senior year of college. He has a knack for the stock market, and I think Renée has more money now than when she started. They met shortly after we moved and got married not long after."

"That never seemed suspicious to you?" I blurted out.

 _There_ _goes starting the date_ _off light_ _._

Bella frowned slightly and looked out the window.

"On the contrary, since day one," she snorted—"I feel bad for him."

"Him?" I blinked.

"Yes, him. Isn't that who you meant?" Bella turned back to me with her eyebrows furrowed

"No. I was talking about him being a bit shady." I voiced my concern.

Bella laughed and then became more solemn. "Phil is a very sweet man; he's been nothing but been kind to me. He makes living at home bearable. I feel sorry for him because I think it's obvious that he loves Renée, but she's using him for financial gain."

"You think he's shady?" Bella looked highly amused.

"Isn't he the one that bought you a new car with shoddy brakes?" I clenched the wheel a bit tighter.

"He bought me a new car that had a good safety rating after my other car was recalled for spontaneously combusting engines. Seth, the owner of Clearwater Auto, suspected that it could be an employee at the dealership trying to make an extra buck." She was starting to sound irritated.

"I'm sorry, I just worry about you. I don't know him as well as you—if you say he's safe I believe you." I sighed.

Her face softened, and she reached over, covered my hand with hers and gave it a soft squeeze. "I know you're worried; however, I think you're overacting and jumping to conclusions. Phil isn't going to hurt me."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't planning on starting tonight by talking about this topic," I apologized. I felt like a jerk, it was obvious that the mood was now somewhat tense.

"Quit apologizing. Let's just move on to something happier," Bella said encouragingly.

"Well, here we are." I pulled into the parking lot.

"A Pizza Hut! Renée would hate that it's a chain restaurant—I love it!" A large grin broke out on her face.

We were quickly shown to a booth by the window, and we glanced at the menu before deciding on the meat lovers. While we waited, I noticed she still had the cute habit of swirling her straw in her soda before she would take a sip.

"So what are you studying, I don't even know what you're going for." She leaned back against her seat and looked at me expectantly.

"I'm getting a double major in social justice and history. From there I plan to go to law school. I'm hoping that an internship next summer will help me get a foot in the door."

"I can see you as a lawyer, you do love to argue." Her eyes glinted teasingly.

"Ha-ha." I tossed my balled up straw wrapper at her, and it bounced off her nose.

Her eyes narrowed into her kittenish glare, making me laugh.

"And you? What do you want to plan to do?" I recovered from laughing.

"Okay, you have to promise not to laugh." She looked nervous.

"Why would I laugh? Are you planning on being a clown?" I joked.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"An acrobat?"

"With my balance—be serious." She looked more amused than annoyed.

"You said not to laugh. Why would I?" I chuckled.

"My major is social work." She eyed me skeptically.

"Why would that be funny?" I pulled back as our pizza arrived.

I went ahead and served us both a slice. Bella was quiet as she picked off a piece of pepperoni to eat. She seemed to be thinking of her response.

"I didn't mean, laugh as if it was funny—more like laugh, about how absurd you might think it is that I want to help children who have been neglected or abused, given my current situation," she explained.

"Oh, I see"—I paused with my slice halfway to my mouth—"I promise I didn't jump to that conclusion."

"I figured college was my way out. Even if I have to listen to her verbal abuse, I never put too much stock in what she complained about. There are more people worse off than me that I can help," she started to ramble.

"Bella, I think it's great you want to do that. You don't have to defend your choices to me. But you've said before, Renée blocked you from jobs, what makes you think she won't block you again," I asked.

"How can she block me from a government job? It's not as if she can boycott or anything?" Her brows furrowed.

"She can pay off the head or make a huge donation for you not to be," I pointed out.

And just like that, I watched the hope diminish from her eyes. She looked down at her plate.

Shit.

I really need to think before I speak. This date was going straight into the crapper.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to trash your hopes like that. I'm sure you'll be able to find a job helping kids. I can't imagine she'll have pull in every state." I tugged on my hair.

"I guess I could always hire you as my lawyer and sue for something." A small smile appeared on her lips.

"Now that's the spirit. I'll give you the family discount." I relaxed a little. "I'm really zero for three tonight, aren't I."

"What are you talking about?" She looked confused.

"I keep saying things to upset you. That's not what I wanted to happen tonight." I grimaced.

"If it makes you feel any better, I've been on much worse dates." She took a bite out of her pizza.

"Did you actually go out with Austin? That guy is a prick." My jaw clenched slightly.

"Ick, Ken, unfortunately. Her nose wrinkled.

"Ken?" I was intrigued and finally took a bite out of my slice.

"Doesn't he look like the one that Alice had." She let out a giggle.

"You mean the one that you two made me use when you forced me to play with you." I vaguely remember. There was a reason I pushed it far back into my mind.

"That was Alice, I never forced you, but yes, that would be the one." Her shoulders started to shake with laughter.

"He takes the cake for the worst date ever. I swear he looked in any shiny surface at his reflection from the moment he picked me up. He flirted openly with both the waitress and hostess. Then halfway through the meal he disappeared—I found him in the closet with both of them." She scowled slightly.

I choked on my pizza. "You're making that up."

"I wish I was. That was why I didn't feel guilty leaving. But it wasn't before the jerk decided to order just a small salad for me and blame me for being late for the reservation." Her grin became mischievous.

"What did you do?" I knew her too well, she had somehow retaliated.

"I ordered more food than I could ever eat and made sure they were the pricier items. I also was very picky how I wanted my food served." She smiled cheekily.

"Good girl." I laughed.

"I can't believe he thought I would go out with him again," she said with disgust.

"The guy is a tool, I would tell you about some of the things I've witnessed working there, but it may ruin your dinner." I shuddered as I thought about what I walked into the previous week.

"I can only imagine what he and his kissing cousin have been up to." Her nose wrinkled.

"So tell me about Tanya?" Bella asked.

"Tanya is a nuisance who can't seem to take a hint." I rolled my eyes.

"Hmmm…did you try being blunt; maybe you should set her up with Mike." She laughed.

"Or Austin." I joined her.

The bill came, and I reached for my wallet. At the same time, Bella opened her purse and took hers out.

"What are you doing?" I asked incredulously.

She looked up in surprise. "Paying—the date was my idea so shouldn't I pay? Especially, since you're paying for the fair."

"Girls don't pay for dates, Bella. Is this another way for you to _help_ me. I can afford a pizza and mini-golf." I tossed my card in the folder and set it on the edge of the table.

Her eyes narrowed, and she leaned back in the seat, crossing her arms in front of her. "I wasn't trying to offend you. Rose said that she and Emmett take turns all the time paying."

I opened my mouth and closed it with a snap. Mentioning Emmett reminded me of his comment about how I let my pride get in my way. The waiter came to collect the bill, he glanced at us and must have sensed the tension as he scurried away quickly.

 _And just like that, I was 0-4_.

"I'll make you a deal. I'll pay for the pizza, and you can pay for mini-golf. We'll split the date," I offered, though I felt like it was going against my grain to be a gentleman.

"Deal." She held out her hand.

Instead of shaking it, I placed a kiss on the back of it.

"I apologize, Emmett was right. I let my pride get in the way. I was raised to pay for dates, open doors—"

"Then the whole women's revolution had to come around and ruin that for you." Bella smirked.

"Exactly." I snickered.

 **MoU**

I was determined to make the rest of the night perfect **.** When we arrived at the mini-golf place, I made no comment as Bella paid for us at the counter. The cashier held out two balls, pink and green.

Bella grabbed the green one quickly and then glanced at me challengingly. I took the pink ball and held it up spinning it with my fingers.

"Doesn't matter what color I have, I will still kick your cute little butt." I clenched the ball in my hand.

"We shall see about that." Color rose in her cheeks.

"Well, would you look at that, a perfect match. I'm liking this color even more." I held the ball up against her face.

She scowled and swatted me away. "Loser buys ice cream."

"You're on, I like Strawberry. I believe that's pink too just like this little guy." I wiggled my eyebrows.

Her lips twitched as she fought not to laugh. "I don't know what you're telling me for, you haven't won yet."

The score went back and forth throughout the whole course. I had to fish our balls out of water traps once each. By the time we got to the last hole, we were even. Bella had a little bounce in her step as she placed her ball down on the mat. She took her time trying to figure out which hole she wanted.

Meanwhile, my eyes gravitated to her ass. She had this habit of wiggling it every time she bent over—not that I minded. Bella cleared her throat, and I looked away, slightly ashamed at being caught.

"Okay, for the win," Bella predicted.

She smacked the ball, and it went down the hill bouncing down the zig-zags on its way. At the bottom, it hit the wall, then rolled straight into the hole.

"I got a hole in one." Bella cheered.

She threw her arms around my neck in her excitement. I wrapped my arm around her waist and spun her. I placed her on her feet, and her face was incredibly close to mine.

I wanted to kiss her so bad. However, I was well aware of the family that was currently waiting right behind us. I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate it if we gave the kids a show. I stepped quickly away from her, and she looked slightly disappointed.

"My turn," I said huskily.

I was still in a daze as I hit the ball down the ramp. We watched in silence as hit the wall and came to stop an inch from the hole—my shoulders slumped in defeat. I went down the step and in my haste I overshot the hole. I stopped it prematurely and hit it again, this time into the cup.

"I like mint chip with jimmies." She had a large Cheshire grin on her face as she waited for me on the walkway.

"As you wish." I took her club from her and held her hand with my free one.

We handed in the clubs and went around the corner of the building to the ice cream windows. The line wasn't too bad so we were served rather quickly, and chose to sit at a table under some trees.

Once again, I was distracted by her tongue poking out of her mouth and licking the treat with long strokes. I shifted in my seat, and she glanced up at me curiously.

"You have some right here." I reached over and wiped away the ice cream that was by the corner of her mouth with my thumb.

She watched me lick it off with hooded eyes. I leaned down, and her head tipped up. Her sweet minty breath wafted under my nose.

Our lips were millimeters apart.

"Hi, Bewa," a small girl chirped.

She appeared out of nowhere and was hugging Bella's legs. She was too cute to be upset with. I slid away from Bella so we weren't so close.

"Hi, Kimmy, where are your parents?" Bella answered her pleasantly.

"Mommy is over there. She's getting me a chocolate ice cream cone. She said I could say hi. Daddy took Jared to the movies." She talked to Bella but was looking at me with a tilt of her head. "Who is that?"

"This is Edward. Edward, this is Kimmy, she's one of the girls I get to play with at the rec.," Bella explained.

"Nice to meet you, Kimmy." I shook her small hand, causing her to giggle.

She leaned close to Bella, cupping her hand over mouth. "Is he your boyfriend?" She asked in a loud whisper.

Bella flushed slightly then nodded her head. Kimmy beamed, then ran back to her mother like nothing happened.

"Sorry about that." Bella gave me an apologetic smile.

"She's cute. So I'm your boyfriend?" I smirked and elbowed her.

"Sure, you're a friend, and you're a boy." Her voice squeaked, and her face was bright red.

I moved closer to her on the bench. "I think I made it pretty clear that I don't want to be just your friend."

"I don't just want the be your friend either," she admitted, not taking her eyes off mine.

I leaned in again and brushed my lips against hers softly. I pulled back all to quickly and she pouted at me.

"Don't look at me like that, love. Kimmy and other kids are around, we don't want to corrupt them." I leaned my forehead against hers.

"I think I'm ready to go back to my big, empty house, now." She stood and started walking to the car.

I hurried to my feet and followed after her.

 **MoU**

Hours later, I returned home, tired but very happy. Jasper was still at his computer and looked up as I walked through the door.

"Fuck." I stared at him.

"No thank you, you're not my type," he responded dryly.

"I forgot to ask her about Charlie. I got distracted." I rubbed the back of my neck. I felt like an idiot, the sooner we found him, the better it would be for Bella.

"I can't get any further until I know more. I'll text Alice, and tell her to ask tomorrow. I'm sure she won't get _distracted._ " Jasper shook his head but looked amused.

"Yes, Alice never gets distracted shopping. We would be better off texting Bella or ask Rose to do it." I glanced at the clock and wondered if she would be asleep already.

"So I take it things went well?" Jasper smirked.

"They started off pretty rough, but I think the end of the night was the best part. I'm going to bed." I started for my room.

"By the way, your shirt is on inside out, bro," Jasper called after I closed my door.

 **A/N:**

 **They had their first date. Might have not been perfect, but it still ended on a positive note. Don't worry I'll back track a bit and you can find out why Edward's shirt was inside out.**

 **Thank you for all the love and reviews you have given my story.**


	12. Chapter 11

**I** **do** **not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 11**

We arrived back at the house, and Edward practically jumped out of the car and hurried over to my side. He extended his hand and helped me out of my seat. Once I was out, he then pushed me against the side of the car, his body molded against mine as he kissed me heatedly.

His tongue licked my lower lip then slipped into my mouth. It entwined with mine in a forbidden dance as his left hand caressed my sides then cupped the back of my head.

He pulled away and rested his forehead against mine. "I've been waiting a long time to kiss you like that." He kissed my nose softly.

"You're not the only one," I said breathlessly.

He leaned in and our lips met once more. This escalated quickly as the intensity started to grow. My heart began to race, and I could feel every inch of him against me. We parted again, and I felt slightly light headed.

"We should stop, or we're going to get carried away. I don't want to rush into anything." He ran his hand through his already chaotic hair.

I nodded disappointedly, part of me didn't want to stop. However, the voice in my head whispered it was too soon. I didn't want him to leave just yet, but I knew if we went into the empty house we would be headed for trouble.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the back door of the garage.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm not ready for the night to be over. Take a swim with me." I started down the hill.

"Skippy dipping; I didn't know you had it in you." Edward chuckled and then stopped.

I froze and almost slipped in the grass, but Edward caught me easily. I felt my cheeks burn.

"I wasn't thinking that, but maybe in our underwear. Technically, that wouldn't be much different than bathing suits."

"I'm just teasing. Let's go, I could use some cooling off," he whispered into my ear.

We used the light of the moon to find our way down to the pool. The only sounds in the air were the low hum of the pump and a few peepers. Edward walked ahead to the pool house, and I took the opportunity to slip out of my dress and dive into the pool just as the lights came on.

Edward appeared a moment later with his clothes and a couple of towels over his arm. His boxers were dark green and didn't hide his endowment very well. He stopped suddenly and scanned the area with a worried expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" I glanced around too but didn't see anything.

"You didn't wait for me. I got worried when I didn't see you right away." He tossed his things down in a lawn chair.

I sighed inwardly, I wished he wouldn't worry so much. I was touched that he did, but I still felt he was overreacting.

"Come on in the water is nice." I pushed off the side with my feet and floated on my back.

It was a clear night, and the sky was filled with stars. I bobbed around in the water when Edward dived in nearby. His arms snaked around my waist and pulled me under. I barely had a chance to catch my breath.

I sputtered slightly after I surfaced and splashed him in the face, making him laugh. "That was mean." I pouted.

"What are you going to do about it?" he taunted, his eyes were filled with mischief.

Feeling determined, I swam closer and put both hands on his broad shoulders and pushed.

He didn't budge—he just shook from silent laughter.

"You're going to have to try harder than that," he teased.

I jumped up and tried to use all my weight to dunk him. No luck. I proceeded to bounce to increase my efforts, but I still lacked any success—he was like a marble statue.

Edward cleared his throat roughly, and his breath tickled my bare skin. I glanced down, only to realize that with my efforts, I had pressed my boobs straight into Edward's face.

Mortified, I fell back into the water and treaded a couple of feet away from him.

"I am so sorry." I ducked mostly under the water.

"I didn't see anything." He smiled crookedly at me.

I narrow my eyes suspiciously. His choice of words were too coincidental. I had feeling he was being a gentleman the other day—now I was sure of it.

"Bullshit you didn't." I accused.

"Did you just swear?" His eyebrows shot up to his hairline before his head fell back as he let out a loud ring of laughter.

"I've sworn before." I scowled.

He just laughed even harder. I lunged at him again, catching him off guard, and he toppled backward into the water. He surfaced and shook his head spraying droplets of water everywhere.

"Truce." He held up his hands.

"Truce," I agreed, and held out my hand.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him, kissing me again. This kiss was more chaste than earlier, and he continued to hold me close afterward.

"As much as I hate too, I should get going." He ran his hand through my hair.

"I'm sorry, I forget you start your days early," I apologized.

"I'll make it up to you this weekend," he promised.

We swam to the edge, and he got out first then helped me. We walked hand in hand up the hill slowly. We parted in the garage so Edward could dress quickly before leaving. I watched him from the upstairs window as he drove away. I settled in my room for the night, feeling lonely.

 **MoU**

I awoke the next morning with a text on my phone from Edward asking if I knew any more information on Charlie. I was ashamed to admit that I didn't know much about the man, except that he was about a year older than Renée.

I stopped in Phil's office while I waited for Alice to arrive to see if there was any more information on my birth certificate. I removed the dart board from the wall and entered the numbers to the safe.

I searched through the papers but couldn't find my information. Renee's documents were also missing. Perhaps she moved them to her safe, she was always paranoid about getting robbed. She argued with Phil that a safe in his office was an obvious place.

I went back upstairs to their room. It was a bit stuffy from being closed up most the week. I went to the couch in front of the fireplace and removed the top cushions. I punched in the code.

DENIED

I shrugged and tried again, figuring I had done it so fast that I mispressed a button. This time I made sure to hit each number carefully.

DENIED

Strange. Why would she change the pin number and not tell me?

Granted, I had little need to ever go in it, but I couldn't think where else my birth certificate and social security card would be.

This put a kink in my plans. I would have to come up with a good excuse as to why I needed my documents. Renée would go ballistic if I told her I was looking for my dad. Maybe I could wait until the party next weekend. She was bound to be in a good mood with a few drinks in her.

My phone beeped.

 **Alicat: We are here!**

 **Bella: Be right out.**

I put the couch back together and hurried down to the front of the house, calling a quick good-bye to Mrs. Cope.

 **MoU**

I stopped short when I saw the huge monster of a Jeep that was sitting in the driveway. Alice was sitting behind the wheel waving wildly making the scene even more comical.

I opened the passenger door and heaved myself into the back. "Alice, why do you have such a enormous car?"

"I borrowed it from Emmett. I figured we might need the extra space for all the shopping we're going to do." Alice bounced in her seat, as she started the car.

"We have so much to do. Shopping….ooo….we need to hit Fanuiel Hall—I adore all the little shops. We have to eat lunch in Quincy Market—it is the best food court. I must get Clam Chowdah in a bread bowl." Alice squealed.

"ChowdeR—R—there is no 'h' at the end." Rose groaned. She shook her head then sipped on a large Dunkin Donuts Ice Coffee.

"When in Boston you must speak like them," Alice insisted.

"How much caffeine have you had already, Alice?" I laughed as she started to back out of the driveway.

"I don't drink caffeine, it just rots your insides," she answered.

"Bring on the poison," Rose commented with a smirk, taking a bigger gulp.

She lowered her shades and stared ahead down the road. "Is that Ken?"

I looked between the front seats to see better. Austin was running down the middle of the road away from us in a pair of tight-fitting lycra pants.

"Yup. That would be him." I fell back into the seat as Alice sped up.

She started gaining on him; Ken looked over his shoulder and began to sprint. He managed to get to the edge of the road but then tripped over a rock into a muddy runoff gully.

I shrank in my seat as we drove past—he sat up and was shaking his fist at the car.

"Oh my God, Alice, are you crazy?" Rose glanced behind us.

"What, the guy is a jerk," she said nonchalantly.

"Emmett isn't going to be happy if he gets a call from the police. This is his car," Rose reminded her.

"Oops, shit, I forgot about that. I promise I'll take care of it if Ken reports us. We should probably drop off Bella in another car when we get back." Alice now looked guilty.

"I'm sure Edward won't mind if he has to give her a ride." Rose winked at me.

"Oh, that's right, before I forget." I pulled out my phone to text him.

 **Bella: I don't have too much more information. I remember he was about a year older than Renée. But I don't know his actual birthdate.**

 **I was born in Arizona. However, Renée was going to college in California when she got pregnant. I also remember from her stories that she went on a road trip with her friends right before, and they drove up from Cali to Vancouver. They never made it across the border since she forgot her passport and birth certificate. They spent some time in Washington State, instead.**

 **AC: Your birth certificate should have the state he was born in on it.**

 **Bella: Unfortunately, I can't find it at the moment. I think it's locked in Renée's safe.**

 **AC: Okay This should hopefully narrow it some. Arizona, California, and Washington?**

 **Bella: Sounds good.**

 **AC: I'll pass it along. Have fun shopping with the girls.**

 **Bella: Your sister is crazy.**

 **AC: Tell me something I don't know.**

"Who are you texting? This is supposed to be a girl's day," Alice interrupted.

"Edward. He texted me saying Jasper needed more information to help track down Charlie," I explained as I slipped phone back into my purse.

"How did your date go last night?" Rose turned in her seat and asked.

That night, after hours of shopping and Alice getting her clam chowdah, Edward drove me back to my house. He didn't stay long, but dropped me off and helped me into the house with the bags.

 **MoU**

I was excited on Saturday. Today was the fair, and Alice picked me up in the afternoon, and we hung out together at Edward and Jasper's apartment watching _Breakfast Club_ until the boys got home. Their two bedroom apartment seemed more like home than Renée's.

Edward and I walked hand in hand through the midway. We had split off from the others, as Alice wanted to see the handmade crafts while Em and Rose wanted to see the old model cars.

"What would you like to do first, eat or rides?" Edward paused at the intersection as people skirted around us.

"Perhaps, fast rides first then eat and save the Ferris wheel for the end," I suggested.

"Let do this one first." He led us to a Scrambler.

We had a short wait until we got our turn. Once we got on we started to move slowly but quickly gathered speed spinning and twirling about causing us to bump into one another. After I had hit my head on the back, Edward wrapped his arm behind my shoulders to support me.

When we got off, I was feeling dizzy and grateful that we hadn't eaten first; however, I still enjoyed it. Edward kept his arm around my waist as we walked away. He kissed the side of my head as we debated which ride next. His eyes lit up, and he dragged me to another one.

"I love the Zipper. Come on." He pulled me along looking like a little boy.

I glanced at the ride he was talking about and froze in my spot. It looked like a cross between a Ferris wheel and an extreme level spinning ride. While it was going up and around the compartments were spinning and tipping upside down.

"No Way." I crossed my arms in front of me.

"Don't be a chicken. It's fun, I promise." Edward pouted.

"Go ahead. I'll wait here on the ground, where it's safe," I refused.

"I'll go with you, Edward." A scratchy voice interrupted us.

Out of nowhere, Tanya showed up in Daisy Dukes and a tank top so skin tight you could plainly see she wasn't wearing a bra. She pushed her way in between us, making me bump into a few people behind me. Edward watched, thoroughly annoyed and looked at me pleadingly over her shoulder.

"Thanks anyway, but I changed my mind." I skirted around her and grabbed Edward's hand.

We walked up to the line, but unfortunately, Tanya followed us. Edward's shoulders were tense as he glanced behind him frowning.

He leaned down and whispered into my ear. "We don't have to go on it. We can find something else."

"It's fine, but I apologize in advance if I die and then puke on you." I tried to make light of it.

He cracked a smile. "I don't think that's possible. At least, not in that order."

"I'm sure I could find a way." I tried to smirk, but my nerves were increasing as we got closer to the front of the line.

A pointy finger tapped my shoulder, and I turned to face Tanya. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, and she looked like she was ready to jump me.

"How do you know Edward," she demanded, shooting daggers out of her eyes.

"I've known him since Kindergarten," I answered truthfully.

"Why don't I know you then?" She flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"I went to a different high school." I forced my smile on my face.

"Tanya, this my girlfriend, Bella." Edward introduced us with a broad smile on his face,

"Girl—" Her eyes grew large as saucers. She whipped her head around and looked me up and down. "I went with Edward to prom," she announced smugly.

"I heard. I also heard you left with the history teacher." By now I was getting irritated with her.

Her face flushed a bright red. She turned around so fast she slammed into the tough biker looking dude behind her. She continued to shove her way out of line before storming off and disappearing into the crowd.

"We're next." Edward brought me to the blue cage.

I was so distracted I didn't notice we were at the front. I felt claustrophobic as we slid in, but it had to be worse for Edward since he was nearly a foot taller than me. When we first started I was fine, but soon we were upside down while hurling towards the ground—I let out a loud scream and gripped the bars so hard my knuckles turned white. Edward snickered and covered my hand with his.

"You're fine." He tried to soothe me.

However, at that moment we flipped backward, and I couldn't help but scream another time.

"Why did I agree to this." I groaned.

"Try closing your eyes," Edward advised.

I shut them tight, and it did help some. After what seemed like forever, we came to a stop. Edward helped me out of my seat and held on to me as we walked down the ramp. Even though my eyes had been closed my equilibrium felt off.

"I'm sorry, love, I didn't think it would scare you that bad." His eyes were full of regret as he blamed himself.

I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "You're going by yourself next time."

"Should we take a break and find something to eat?" He looked more relaxed.

"I need a few minutes for my stomach to settle. How about we check out the animal barns." I pointed in another direction.

"As you wish." He started to weave through the crowd in that direction.

 **MoU**

We left just after dusk, and Edward drove to a small park nearby. He promised that we could see the fireworks from here, and the bonus was we would avoid the traffic of everyone trying to leave at the same time.

Edward spread a blanket out on the grass, and we sat so that I was between his legs and my back resting against him.

He wrapped his arms around me and held me close. "Are you warm enough?"

"I am." I tilted my head to see him.

He peppered kisses along my neck to my jaw then to my lips. I shifted in his lap and returned the kiss, parting my lips, as his tongue slid into my mouth. His hand dipped under my shirt and slid up my waist.

Ever so slowly he started to lie back, bringing me with him without breaking the kiss. He rolled us so he was hovering over me. The kiss grew more heated, his hand cupped and squeezed my breast lightly.

His other hand slid down my leg, as he lifted and hitched it over his hip. Just as the kiss started to intensify, bright shining lights hit us and a horn honked.

"Yay, the others are here," Edward grumbled.

"Be nice." I giggled pushed him to let me up.

"I'm always nice. Let me be mean this time. I'm not sure when the next time will be that we can have some alone time after tonight." Edward scowled playfully before sitting up next to me.

"I'm sorry." My smile fell.

"We'll figure something out, sweetheart." He kissed the tip of my nose at the same time a loud boom sounded in the air.

"Yay, they're starting." Alice plopped down next to us.

I curled into his side as we watched the display in the sky. Right as the last bang of the finale faded, my phone started ringing with my mother's ringtone.

"Hello," I answered quietly.

"Isabella, where are you? How come you're not here to greet us?" Renée sounded cross.

 _Shit, she was back._

"I thought you were coming back tomorrow, I'm out on a date," I answered.

"You gave Austin another chance." She sounded hopeful.

"No. My date is with Jasper Whitlock." I hoped my voice sounded convincing.

"Whitlock? I don't know any Whitlock. What does his family do?" she commanded.

"His family owns oil refineries down in Texas," I answered.

"Phil, have you heard of the Whitlocks in Texas," she called away from the phone.

Edward rubbed my shoulder sympathetically. The others were quietly picking up and pretending not to listen.

"I want to meet him, ask him to come by tomorrow. I am in no condition to meet him tonight." She sniffed.

"Yes, ma'am. I should be back soon." I hung up the phone and groaned.

"I can be there, just give me a time. I guess I should probably drop you off," Jasper spoke before I could even ask.

"Thank you, that would be great." Edward smiled sadly. "I'll see you soon, sweetheart." He kissed me chastely.

"Can I drive your bike?" Alice asked him excitedly.

"Hell, no. I know what you tried to do in Emmett's Jeep. There is no way you're driving my bike." Edward shook his head adamantly.

"Please! I won't hit anyone or anything." Alice chased after him.

"Your ride, Miss." Jasper opened the door for me.

"Thank you again for doing this." I slid into the seat.

"You're more than welcome," he answered, getting in on his side.

He reached into the back and pulled out a few sheets of paper and handed them to me.

"I was able to narrow it down to six. Two in Arizona, three in California and one in Washington. These are their last known, listed phone numbers and addresses. I figure we can start from there," he explained.

I looked at the list of narrowed choices.

I was one step closer to finding my father.

 **A/N:**

 **Sorry, if you wanted them to go further, but remember it has been a week since they started talking again. They don't want to rush too soon.**

 **She has phone numbers now, so she's one step closer, hopefully.**

 **Lastly, sorry but Renée is back. I'm sure you all missed her.**

 **Thank you for all the love and reviews you have given my story.**


	13. Chapter 12

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 12**

I gazed out the window as we drove away with a heavy heart. I hated that my time with Edward was going to be cut short once more. I had to figure out something different, because what I was doing wasn't working anymore. And soon the end of summer would be approaching.

"So if your family is big in Texas why are you up here?" I asked Jasper.

"I know first-hand what it's like have a controlling, manipulating family; my schooling and activities were decided for me. I've never been interested in the family business; however, my refusal wasn't an option for my father. I walked in on a conversation my senior year of high school between my father and a man from a rivaling family; they were making plans for me to marry his daughter, Maria. They had dreams of combining our oil refineries. I didn't like Maria, let alone love her; she was a conniving witch that used her family's influence to get by in life."

"I decided to go away for college and ended up here. My cousin, Peter, wants to run the family company one day, and I have no qualms about it at all. He's also going to please my father by marrying Maria's sister, Charlotte. I'll still have a place on the board and shares in the company, but I won't have to be there. My home is here with Alice," he explained.

"How did your father handle that news?" I wondered.

"He is furious with me even to this very day. He has cut as many ties to me as possible. However, my company shares and trust fund were set up by my grandfather, and my mother was trustee—he couldn't take them from me. When I turned eighteen, everything became mine." Jasper's voice was cool, but his eyes were hard.

"I'm sorry; I'm too nosy, aren't I?" I glanced out the window.

"No, you're fine. My past is one of the reasons I want to help you. I know that it takes support to get away. If it wasn't for my mother and then meeting the others, I might have gotten sucked back into his control." He pulled into our drive and stopped in front of the garage.

"Should I walk you to the door?" He peered up at the house.

Most of the windows were dark, and I had a feeling Renée had already turned in for the night.

"No, thank you. Have a good night, Jasper." I opened the door.

"I will. I have to go make sure Edward and Alice made it home in one piece." He smirked.

 **MoU**

The sun was coming in through the windows when I got up the next morning. When I made it downstairs, I grabbed a freshly baked muffin and some orange juice before joining Phil on the patio.

"Good morning, how was your trip?" I took a seat across from him.

He set down his newspaper. "Good morning, Isabella. It was wonderful, and we had great weather. How were things here? Mrs. Cope told me about your broken window."

"Things were fairly quiet. I did have an issue with my car that I need to tell you about, but I don't want to burden you with it right this minute." I picked off a large piece of muffin and popped it into my mouth.

"What's wrong with it? It's brand new, just off the lot." He was immediately concerned.

"Something felt off about my brakes so I took it into the garage. They told me the brake pads were worn down almost to the metal. I thought it was suspicious so I had them take pictures while they were still on the car, and they also gave me the old brakes back. I talked it over with the owner, Seth Clearwater, and he agreed with my concern. He suspects that it might have been a shady mechanic, who switched out new parts with old to sell them illegally," I informed him.

His forehead pinched in concern. "I'll get on it first thing Monday morning. Make sure you leave the parts on my desk and send me the pictures. Whoever did this won't get away with it—you could've been hurt."

"I also have an affidavit from the owner too," I told him.

"Good thinking. I'm glad you checked it out right away. You're a very sensible girl," Phil complimented.

"Who is a sensible girl?" My mother appeared in the doorway wearing dark sunglasses.

She sauntered out the door with Mrs. Cope followed behind. She took a seat next to Phil, and her tray was set down in front of her. Mrs. Cope turned without a word and went back into the house.

"Isabella is. It looks as if the dealership sold us a brand new car with bad brakes. She had the car fixed and got pictures, the old parts and even an affidavit from the owner of the garage. I'm going to contact Mr. Jenks first thing tomorrow to see what to do next," Phil told her.

Renee's perfectly manicured eyebrows rose over the rims of her shades. "Why do we need a lawyer? Contact the dealership, I'm sure they will fix it. We are good customers after all."

I gave her a confused look. She just brushed it off as if it was no concern. The last time she brought her car in for inspection, she flipped out on them because there was a dead bug on the windshield when she picked it up.

"Ren, the brakes shouldn't be bad this quickly, there may have been some sort of criminal act involved in this. Whether it was the entire dealership or just an employee is yet unknown, but I won't rest until the right person is prosecuted. Bella could've been seriously hurt if this wasn't caught in time." He gave her a look of disbelief.

"Of course, you're right. It must be the jet lag clouding my head. You weren't hurt, Isabella, were you?" Renée looked over towards me with a tight frown.

"No. I'm fine. How was your trip?" I changed the subject.

"Simply incredible, we must go again sometimes. Now tell me about Jasper Whitlock, how did you meet him?" she inquired.

"I met him through a mutual friend." I stayed vague; I had to become better at lying.

"Have him join us for dinner at the club tonight at six. Phil and I would like to meet him," she demanded.

"Ren, it is last minute, the boy may have plans," Phil pointed out.

"It's okay, I already mentioned it last night—he said he could make it," I answered.

"See, it's not a problem. Now, on to other matters. Why haven't you gotten a dress like I told you? Claire said you didn't go shopping with Irina." Renée looked disappointed.

"Irina decided to go to New York. I went to Boston—Heidi was there this weekend too," I answered. "I have a dress upstairs, would you like to see it?"

'Yes, go put it on so I can see if it needs altering. I'll be up shortly." She waved her hand dismissing me.

 **MoU**

I was just finished adjusting the straps to the dress when she walked into my room without knocking. I was glad I hid the information Jasper gave me because it was sitting out earlier.

"Saks?" She sounded surprised that I chose a store she would approve of. "Well let's see—spin for me."

I did as she asked while she sternly eyed the blue dress.

"It fits you very well—in fact, it does flatter your figure. A little promish, but you're still young, so you can pull it off. Did you remember shoes?"

I lifted my skirt to show her the silver strappy sandals that wrapped up my leg. She eyed them critically before she nodded.

"You have surprised me with some excellent choices. Just make sure you get your toes done. Isn't that the same polish from last week." She easily turned her compliment back to a complaint.

"No, it's just the same color, I did them over yesterday," I answered honestly.

"Well, you seemed to have everything under control. I have things to do, see you tonight." She walked out of the room without another word.

I closed my door and let out a sigh. Alice would be tickled pink that Renée liked the dress. Alice made shopping easy, she kept away the pesky sales people that tried to sell you more than you needed, plus she seemed to have a radar for good selections. This was the third dress I had tried on. She had also found the shoes within seconds of stepping into the department.

 **MoU**

After lunch, I decided to work on my list of numbers—starting with Arizona. My fingers shook as I pressed each digit; my nerves building with each moment that grew closer. Would he be happy to hear from me? Or angry? Would it be some stranger annoyed by my search?

The phone started to ring, and a male voice soon answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello, my name is Isabella, I'm looking for Charles Swan."

"You've found him. How can I help you?" He seemed to be a pleasant person.

"I was wondering if about twenty years ago you knew a Renée Higginbotham?"

"I'm sorry the name doesn't sound familiar. Why are you asking?"

"I was looking for my father. All I have to go on is that his name is Charles Swan, and that he would've been about twenty at the time." I picked at a stray thread on my shirt.

"I can assure you I'm not the right guy. I married my high school sweetheart right out of school, and we're still married today. I wish you the best of luck in finding him, you sound like a sweet girl."

"Thank you. I'm sorry to have bothered you." I hit the end button.

I took a few deep breaths—that wasn't so bad. I could handle all the calls if they went like that one.

The second number rang a few times before someone answered.

"Who is this?" A gruff voice barked at me.

I was caught off-guard by the harshness, and my voice became stuck in my throat.

"Hello, I'm going to hang up!"

"No, please don't do that." My voice squeaked.

"Well, who are you and what do you want?"

I prayed that this man wasn't my father because I'm sure it wouldn't go well. I took a deep breath a steadied my voice.

"My name is Isabella, and I was hoping that you knew a Renée Higginbotham?" I asked.

"NO!" he snapped and then the line went dead.

"That went well." I closed my eyes and laid back on my bed.

After a moment, I grabbed my phone and made one more call.

"Hello, sweetheart." Edward sounded cheerful when he answered.

"Hi." My mood already seemed brighter.

"You're upset, I can tell, did Renée give you a hard time?" He sounded concerned.

"No more than usual. She actually liked the dress and shoes Alice picked out for me. I just tried a few of the numbers Jasper found. The first guy was pleasant to talk to even though he's not my dad, and the second pretty much bit my head off when I tried to ask him," I lamented.

"I'm sorry he was so rude. Would you like me to make the calls for you?" he offered sweetly.

"Thank you, but this is something I have to do on my own. I just needed a break after the last guy, I hope the rest aren't like him," I explained.

"I hope they aren't either. Have you talked to Phil yet?"

"I did this morning. You'll be pleased to know that he plans to call our lawyer first thing in the morning. He promised that he's not going to rest until the right person is held accountable," I responded.

"What was his reaction to the news?" he persisted.

"He was upset and surprised by it." I bit the inside of my cheek.

I knew he didn't trust Phil like I did. I've never gotten a bad vibe from him at all. However, I knew that Edward's intentions were good, so I wasn't going to brush them off as if they were nothing.

"Renée's response was weird, though. Usually, she's sue happy, but she questioned Phil on it. She seemed to think the brakes were just normal wear." I scoffed.

"Huh." He paused for a long moment. "She wasn't concerned at all."

"She asked if I was all right. If I had been hurt, I imagine her reaction would've been different."

"Hmmm. So am I going to be able to see you this week," he asked.

"I'm sure I can find an excuse or two to be away." I smiled softly.

"Good. What do you feel like, a movie or bowling?" he suggested.

"No bowling. I nearly killed myself and others the last time I went bowling with you." I recalled the day in my mind.

"It wasn't that bad." I could tell he was smirking even though I couldn't see him.

"I nearly took Emmett's head off with the ball, and he was behind me…two lanes down," I moaned.

He started to laugh loudly. "I forgot about that."

"I bet he hasn't. A movie will be great," I insisted.

"As you wish. I could make you dinner here first if you'd like." He seemed a bit shy.

"I like that idea, maybe we can have a movie marathon there too," I proposed.

"That sounds great—It's a date."

"I should go. I need to get ready for tonight." I looked at the clock.

"Okay, talk to you later, sweetheart."

"Bye, Edward."

 **MoU**

"So Jasper, why aren't you going to school in Texas. Surely there must be some good schools there." Renée swirled the tiny straw in her cocktail before taking a sip.

"There are indeed, Mrs. Dwyer. However, college was my chance to see another part of our fair country, before I have to settle down to work for the family business," Jasper answered politely.

"A wonderful idea to spread your wings a bit and see new places. Phil grinned and turned to Renée. "You like to travel, dear."

"Isabella told me you just came back from Greece. What have been your favorite places to travel?" Jasper smiled pleasantly.

"Paris was lovely. We went there for fashion week last year. Italy was also beautiful. Have you traveled alot?" Renee asked.

"Not as much as I'd like. I was sent to boarding school as a small boy and even spent most holidays there. However, my family does take an annual trip to the Alps." Jasper took a sip of his drink.

"I always wanted to learn to ski." Renée smiled flirtatiously at him.

"We have plenty to choose from around here. Maybe we should take a family holiday this winter," Phil suggested.

"I don't know if that would be wise for Isabella. You know how she is with sports, she'll only wind up hurt and embarrass herself." Renée sniffed.

Jasper's jaw tensed slightly. "On the contrary, I happened to noticed Isabella is an excellent swimmer—she beat me in a contest the other day." He turned in his seat to me. "I'll be happy to teach you to ski, and I'll make sure to take care of you." He winked.

"Winter is far off," Renée interrupted before I could respond.

"I don't plan on going anywhere, anytime soon," Jasper replied with a large smile

Renée frowned slightly, and Phil beamed his approval. So far the meeting was going rather well. I don't think Renée hated him per se, but I don't think she liked him either. Phil, on the other hand, seemed to approve whole heartedly.

"May I get you another drink, Mrs. Dwyer?" Jasper nodded to her empty glass.

"Yes, that would be nice of you," Renée said, cooly.

"Sir?"

"A whiskey sour, if you don't mind." Phil pulled out his wallet.

"Please allow me to get it. Darlin'?"

It took half a second to realize he was asking me for my drink order.

"A Cherry Coke, please," I answered.

Jasper made his way to the bar across the room. Renée watched with a critical eye, her lips pressed into a firm line.

"I don't like him." Renée sniffed.

"How could you not like him? I think he's a great young man. He's intelligent, polite, down to earth, and he treats Isabella with respect and care." Phil frowned looking at my mother.

"I really like him too." Not a lie, he was a good man—just not the one I wanted.

"I don't know, just something doesn't seem right," Renée insisted. "What about Austin?"

"I don't care for that young man. He's very arrogant and rude to the staff. I've seen him around the club; he eyes every girl as if they were a centerfold. Wait … Is that what this is? You didn't get to select the boy to be Isabella's boyfriend?" Phil inquired softly.

"Of course not," she refuted the idea.

"Give him a chance, please," I pleaded.

"All right." She plastered on a smile as Jasper made his way back to the table.

"Ma'am." He passed out her drink first before retaking his seat.

The rest of the dinner went smoothly. Jasper somehow managed to have Renée smiling and laughing before the end of the night.

 **A/N:**

 **A little background to why Jasper is willing to help them out posing as a fake boyfriend. He's a good guy to have on their side.**

 **A small hint, Renée likes the dress because she thinks Heidi had something to do with it.**

 **First two calls to find Charlie were failures but she hasn't given up yet.**

 **Thank you for all your reviews and love you have given my story.**


	14. Chapter 13

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 13**

Late Tuesday afternoon, Jasper let me into the apartment and took the bags of groceries from me.

"Come on in and make yourself comfortable. Alice and I will be out of your hair shortly." He led the way to the kitchen then set everything on the counter.

"I brought enough for everyone if you would like to stay for dinner," I offered as I started to get ready to cook.

"What are we having?" Alice looked eager.

"Thank you for the offer, Bella, but another time. We are having dinner with Alice's parents." Jasper pulled her away with him.

I began preparing Chicken Kiev—a dish I remembered Edward liking when Esme made it. I was just putting the chicken in the freezer to cool when Edward texted me that he was on his way home.

He entered the apartment just as I was finishing a salad. He looked tired, hot, and sweaty. I could smell the sunblock, grass, gas, and chlorine from where I stood.

"You beat me here." He glanced around the kitchen with a confused look. "What's all this?"

"I hope you don't mind, but I decided to surprise you with dinner. I know you were going to cook, but I figured after a long day that you deserved to relax." I bit the inside of my cheek and hoped he wouldn't be upset.

"You don't trust my cooking?" he teased lightly.

"It's not that at all. You can do it for me some other time; I was trying to do something nice." I walked over to hug him.

He stopped me gently and held me away from him. "I stink from working outside, and you're all pretty. I'll just get you all dirty."

"I don't care," I insisted.

I stood on my tiptoes, kissed him on the lips, and wrapped my arm around his neck. His lips moved with mine; however, he kept his arms out to the side. He pulled away with a look of regret.

"Do I have time for a quick shower?" he asked.

"Yes, I haven't put the chicken in yet. I figured that you might need to wash up first." I moved back to the oven.

"I'll be fast," he promised and headed down the hall.

I was glad that I made extra since Edward had two helpings. He moaned appreciatively as he ate so I assumed it was good. I was pleased that despite being rusty I could still cook. Against his protests, I cleaned up the kitchen as he was finishing his second plate.

We settled on the couch after deciding to watch _The_ _Princess Bride._ I was seated so close to Edward, that I was almost in his lap. His arm was wrapped around me, and he played with my hair while my head rested against his chest. The beating of his heart distracted me from the movie.

"I remember our first time watching this. What were we ten?" Edward chuckled. "I still remember Emmett freaking out that it was a 'kissing movie,'" he mocked how Fred Savage's character reacted to kissing in the book.

"If I recall you were just as upset at first. My, how things have changed," I teased.

"True. I've completely changed my mind about kissing. Although it depends on who I'm kissing." He tilted my head up, and his lips descended on mine.

The noise of the television faded into the background as the kiss grew more heated. He pulled me fully onto his lap so I was straddling him. His hand slid up my back until he found the zipper and slowly pulled it down. I shifted so the straps fell off my arms making my dress fall to my waist, leaving me exposed.

"No, bra?" His breath felt ragged against my neck.

"It was one of those built in ones." My voice hitched as he left a trail of kisses along my collarbone.

His lips continued down a path until they brushed my nipple. I jumped in surprise, and he raised his eyes to meet mine.

"Is this okay?" He paused.

"Yes, but what if Jasper and your sister return?" I glanced at the door.

"Jasper will call first—it's our signal," he informed me, not looking worried.

 _Their signal?_

It made my heart sink a slight bit.

Of course, I knew that it was possible he had been with other girls. But he almost made it sound as if it was a regular occurrence … as if this was nothing special.

"Whatever you're thinking, you're wrong. The system was put in place after I walked in on him and my sister. Jasper is a good guy and all, but I never want to have visuals of my sister in that position." His nose wrinkled.

"Sorry," I apologized for jumping to conclusions.

"Don't be. The answer I believe you're looking for was one—her name was Maggie, and she was an exchange student from Ireland—a lot about her reminded me of you. It didn't last long since something just felt off. Last I heard, she was engaged to her old boyfriend a month after she returned home," he explained, looking uncomfortable.

"One for me too. He was the son of one of Phil's co-workers. Riley was sweet, and even Renée seemed to like him. We got a bit tipsy at a function we were dragged to, and one thing led to another. Afterward, he started crying and apologizing. Turns out, he was gay and just didn't want to admit it to himself," I confessed.

"Well, this just kills the mood, huh?" Edward chuckled warily.

"We can fix that." I tugged on his shirt as I tried to lift it over his head; I tossed it on the couch next to us.

"Me being shirtless is going to fix things?" He laughed.

"Well, it does for me." I smiled cheekily. "You can't say you hate your view."

"Touché." He kissed me lightly on the lips.

He lowered is head again and shifted me on his lap so he could resume his attention to my breasts. His mouth sucked the nipple of one, while his hand squeezed the other lightly. My fingers traced his abs before slipping further down and brushing his erection through his shorts. His moans vibrated through my chest, encouraging me to rub harder.

I was surprised when his hand surrounded my wrist and pulled it away. "We can't do this here." He kissed my lips before I could protest. "We should move to my room."

I nodded in agreement, and he stood sweeping me up with him. I let out a giggle as he carried me off. Just as we reached his bedroom door, his phone started to ring.

"Damn, that's Jasper." He huffed in frustration.

He gave me an apologetic look as he stomped across the room and picked his cell.

"They'll be back in five minutes. Apparently, there was nothing he could say to convince Alice to stay away any longer. She claims I see you more than her, and I should share." He scowled as he read the message.

"I'm sorry." I started to untangle myself from him and redress quickly.

"Not your fault, this is all her. She's been begging me since she heard you would be here. Esme tried to help by asking them to dinner with the agreement that we'd have dinner with her and dad on Sunday," he explained as he pulled on his shirt.

"I would love that. Renée will be dead to the world the day after the party; she won't even notice that I'm missing."

"I'll tell her." He smiled; he came towards me and kissed me.

We made some popcorn and once again got comfortable on the couch. No more than ten minutes later, the door banged open, and Alice flew in with Jasper trailing behind her.

"We're back, and we brought some of Mom's brownies so you can't be mad at me. I want time with Bella too." Alice plopped down next to me and held out the plate to Edward.

"I guess I can forgive you." He grabbed a large brownie and took a bite.

"They look great; thank your mom for them." I chose one and started to nibble on it.

"Have you had any luck on that list, Bella?" Jasper asked, taking a seat on a chair.

"All the California numbers weren't him. One guy even accused me of working for the government and threatened to sue if I called again. I didn't think anyone would top the one from Arizona, but he did. The Washington number was no longer in service," I responded glumly.

"I'll see if I can find out more about the guy from Washington. If we still have no luck, maybe we can try to get hold of your birth certificate. If you don't think you can get it from Renée, contact the town hall of the city in which you were born. Usually, they can send you a copy," Jasper suggested.

"I didn't know I could do that. That's a great idea."

We started the movie over for Alice, we didn't mind since we weren't paying attention the first time.

I didn't miss that Edward seemed to hold me tighter whenever Westley said _'as you wish.'_ Later that night, he followed me to my street on his bike and waited until I texted him from the driveway.

 **MoU**

On Thursday, I went to Heidi's and was relieved to see only her and Edward out by her pool. Edward acknowledged me with a short nod, and I took a seat.

"No, Irina, today," I asked casually.

"She's at the Cater's caterers with her mom, and then they need to go to the florist. She should be busy for the rest of the week," she answered distractedly.

"That's a shame," I mumbled.

The corners of Heidi's mouth twitched slightly, but she didn't stop texting. A part of me was dying to know who she was texting so much. However, I respected her privacy since I wanted the same for myself. Edward passed behind her and waved to catch my attention. He gestured with his head for me to follow him.

"Would it be all right if I got myself something to drink?" I asked her.

"I can ask a servant to bring something out. What would you like?" Heidi glanced up from her phone.

"I don't mind the walk; I can work off the calories from lunch. Can I get you something?" I offered, getting to my feet.

"If you're going, I'll take a water." She shrugged then glanced back at her screen. Something she saw made her smile and blush a bit.

Curious.

I walked in the direction Edward has gone and rounded the corner of the pool house. I was passing by the sauna when I was pulled through the door and pushed against the wall. Edward's lips attacked mine before I could blink. I wrapped my arms around his neck and returned the kiss. He lifted me up and my ankles locked behind his back. We were soon hot, sweaty, and panting for breath.

"I've missed you." His forehead leaned against mine.

"I've missed you too," I said.

"Can you sneak away tomorrow night?" he asked.

"I wish I could, but I promised Angela I'd help with the cookout for the kids at the rec." I frowned.

"So when will I see you, Saturday night is the party, and Sunday we're at my parents," he lamented.

"I'll see you on Sunday, silly." I playfully batted his bicep.

"We can't do this in front of my family." He kissed me heatedly.

His hand slid underneath my top so that his fingers could brush my nipple. He released my lips and placed a peck on my neck.

"You're right, we can't do this Sunday." I giggled. "Don't leave any marks. Renée went on a tirade when I came home Tuesday night with a hickey. Something about 'no one buys a cow if the milk is free' or something like that."

I left out that she also saw a smear of chocolate on the corner of my mouth and told me if I wasn't careful I wouldn't fit into the dress that Heidi must have picked out for me.

"I left a hickey? Where?" Edward's eye sparkled mischievously.

I lifted my hair and tilted my head to the side, hoping he could see it in the dim light. His fingers traced the mark that was starting to fade. Without warning, he started to suck on the spot.

"Edward, don't you dare," I squealed pushing him away.

He began to laugh and opened his mouth to say something when the door to the sauna flew open. I jumped down, then stood still. Heidi entered with her back to us, and she wasn't alone. With her was a tall, dark-haired man wearing khaki shorts and a button up shirt—his glass were so fogged up I doubt he could see us. They stumbled to the bench in the back of the room and started tearing at each other's clothes.

Edward pulled me outside, and we collapsed in the grass. We looked at each other and started laughing.

"That was close." Edward grinned.

"I wonder if he's the guy she's always texting." I thought out loud.

"I know him. He graduated last year and now goes to Harvard for graduate school. His name is Demetri, I'm pretty sure that he used to be Heidi's tutor." Edward stood and helped me to my feet.

"So another case of forbidden love." I sighed softly.

"I should get back to work." Edward reluctantly took a step back.

"I can get away from the party early. Renée is always so drunk a few hours in, she never seems to notice that I'm gone. We can meet at the pool house," I suggested.

"We won't get caught?" Edward speculated.

"They never check on me, and neither of them will be up before noon. As long as you don't park your bike out in the open, they'll never see it."

He thought about it and then nodded in agreement. "Promise me you'll keep your dress on. I want to see you all dressed up."

"I thought you didn't like it when I looked like that. If I recall correctly, you said, I wasn't your Bella." I frowned slightly.

"I was being a jerk that day and lashed out. I apologize again for it." He glanced around then kissed my hand.

We agreed on a time, and I hurried to the house to grab some water bottles from the kitchen. I headed back to the pool and placed them down on a table. I wasn't sure if Heidi was going to return, but I wanted to make sure it appeared that I did what I said I was going to do. Edward was waist deep in water vacuuming—his hair was wet, making it obvious that he had taken a dip. Feeling like I needed to cool off myself, I jumped in the deep end. When I surfaced, Edward sent me a playful scowl and shook his head. I sat on the edge, and we made small talk until Heidi reappeared about a half-hour later.

 **MoU**

Jasper and I stood at the edge of the party watching others mill about; partying, drinking and dancing. The house was filled with fake people who didn't even like each other but used one another for social status. I noticed that Heidi wasn't on the arm of the guy from the other day, but another from the club—she looked utterly bored and a bit sad.

In my hand was a half empty glass of wine. Since I had no place for a phone, Jasper was holding onto mine for me. I groaned when I saw Austin heading our way with Irina on his arm. Jasper looked at me with raised eyebrow.

"That's Austin and Irina," I muttered under my breath.

"So that's Ken. This should be interesting." Jasper's lips twitched in amusement.

"Isa, so glad you could make it. Aren't you going to introduce us?" Austin was looking at my chest rather than my face.

"Austin and Irina, this is Jasper Whitlock. Jasper, this is Austin and Irina," I responded dryly.

"Nice to meet you." Jasper held out his hand.

Austin eyed him for a moment before extending his own hand. I noticed he tried to flex his around Jasper's to assert his strength, but Jasper didn't bat an eye as he reversed the tables quickly. Austin winced and pulled his hand away with a slight grimace.

"Take a spin with me on the dance floor, Isa." Ken looked at me with lust.

"No thank you, I'm happy here," I refused.

There was no way I wanted his hands on me. Irina's face was pinched as she eyed me up and down with distaste. Her pink dress stuck to her like a second skin, which barely covered anything.

"You should stay away from the dessert table, you look frumpy in that dress—I would lay off the brownies if I were you." Irina stuck her nose in the air.

Jasper frowned and beat me to the punch. "At least, her dress is in her size, and doesn't look as if it belongs to a Barbie doll."

Irina's mouth dropped open in shock, and her eyes widened. It was the first time I've ever seen her speechless. She kicked Austin's shin, and he winced.

"You can't speak to a lady like that. I think you owe someone an apology," he demanded.

"You're right. I'll send a letter to Mattel. If you'd excuse us, we're going to go have a big piece of cake." Jasper led us around the confused pair.

I waited until we were a few feet away before I burst out laughing. "I think that was the best comeback I've ever heard."

"She deserved it. If she doesn't like hearing it, then she shouldn't be saying it." Jasper snickered.

His phone beeped, and he discreetly looked at it. "Twenty minutes away."

"Good, let's get the cake and get out of here." I headed for the table and served us both a large slice.

On our way out we ran into Renée.

"Leaving already?" Her eyes were glazed over, and she was holding a large tropical drink.

"I have an early morning conference call with my father that I can't miss. I wanted to make sure Bella got home safely first," Jasper answered.

"You're such a sweet boy. Why are you with my daughter, you could do so much better." She patted his cheek with her hand.

"I like your daughter very much." Jasper smiled and kissed my hand for show.

"Hmmm. Very well, off you go." She dismissed with her hand.

"Oh, Mom, what's the code for your safe so I can put back your necklace," I asked.

I'm not sure if I would call it luck or not, but earlier, without thinking, I was wearing the necklace Edward gave me. She took one look at it and called it tacky. She insisted that I should wear one of hers instead so I wouldn't embarrass her.

She rattled off the code and wandered off to where Clarie was holding court.

"Do you think she gave you the right one; she looks about half gone," Jasper commented as he handed over my phone.

"We'll find out." I typed the code into my notes section.

 **MoU**

Jasper let me off at the house. He wanted to stay around until Edward got here, but I insisted that I would be fine.

I made my way across the dark yard slowly because damp grass and heels didn't mesh. I paused to take them off when I got an eerie feeling that I was being watched. I glanced around but didn't see anything.

"Edward?" I called but only received silence in return.

I continued my way to where the pool area was lit. I had the foresight to turn on the lights before leaving this evening, knowing that Phil and Renée wouldn't notice. I waited by the pool when I saw a figure walking down the hill towards me.

At first, I thought it was Edward, but I realized quickly it wasn't him by the long hair. A vaguely familiar man with olive skin stepped out into the light. I backed away quickly and felt a bubble of panic raise into my chest.

Where was Edward?

"This is private property, you need to leave before I call the police." I clutched my phone.

"Hello, Isabella, don't you remember me?" He cackled.

"No. I'm sorry, I don't. Please leave. I won't ask again." I raised my hand with my phone.

He smacked it out of the way with lightning speed, and it fell into the pool—sinking quickly. He took another step towards me, and I threw my shoes in his face; the heel of one him hitting him in the eye.

"Bitch!" he screamed.

"Bella!" I heard Edward shouting in the distance—he was running down the hill at top speed.

I used the moment of distraction to run, but the intruder turned back and rushed me. I headed for the pool house praying I could make it in time—there was a phone in there, and I could call for help.

However, he was faster and stronger. He grabbed me twisting my arm back; his other hand wrapped around my neck.

"Let her go." Edward lunged for the stranger, tackling him and tumbling both of them into the shadows. In the process, I was shoved away violently, falling backward into the pool; my head slamming into the diving board.

The cold water was a sharp contrast to a hot summer night. I had no time to take a breath before I went under, my chest constricting and burning within seconds.

The back of my head throbbed painfully, and I was unable to think clearly or get my limbs to move. The fabric of my dress became heavy and dragged me down deeper to the bottom of the pool—the rough cement scraped my skin as I abruptly came in contact with it.

I wondered if they would notice that I wasn't going to make it.

 **A/N:**

 **A lot has happened in this chapter, and we have reached the prologue. Will Edward notice she fell in and is drowning in time?**

 **The next chapter is in his POV, so strap on your life jackets.**

 **Thank you for all your love and reviews you have given this chapter.**


	15. Chapter 14

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 14**

 **EPOV**

I kept glancing at the clock since Jasper left almost two hours ago. I couldn't help but feel a bit jealous when I saw him walk out of here all dressed up to take Bella out.  
I knew it was for show, and he was doing us a favor, but I still wished it was me.

A part of me worried what would happen if I failed to get an internship at a law firm next summer. I already ruled out working in that neighborhood even though the pay and tips at the end of the season were great. However, if Renée was going to be a threat, I would have to find a new area—come fall I wanted this charade to be over.

By the two hour mark, I grabbed my keys and headed for my bike. Bella had said that was all the time she needed before she could escape. I sent a quick text before taking off for her house. I passed Jasper about a mile away, and he waved to me as he went by.

Part of me was pissed that he didn't stick around until I got there. I hated for her to be alone. For some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that Bella's life was in danger. I just couldn't put my finger on who would want to hurt her.

I cut the engine before I reached the driveway and walked my motorcycle up the rest of the way. Instead of parking it in the garage, I hid it in the shadows on the side. I headed to the backyard and made my way to the pool house.

Movement by the pool caught my eyes. I squinted and even in the dark, I could see a man with dark dreads confronting Bella. She seemed to be shouting angrily and then she pulled out her phone and waved it. He moved closer and was able to smack it out of her hand. He started to advance on her, and she threw her shoes at him.

"Bitch!" he screamed.

"Bella!" I was knocked out of my stupor and ran down the hill to help her.

I was going to kick that assholes' ass for touching her.

Bella ran as hard as she could, but her gown was slowing her down. I didn't make it in time before he grabbed her arm, twisting it in an unnatural way, as he proceeded to choke her.

"Let her go," I shouted as I tackled him.

We fell into the bushes, and he lost his grip on Bella. I heard a splash but kept my focus on the intruder since I knew Bella could swim better than me. We rolled and threw punches before I grasped the upper hand and pinned him down to the ground.

"Bella, call the police." I didn't trust loosening my grip for a moment.

There was no answer.

"Bella, are you okay?" I turned my head, and the area around the pool was deserted.

Perhaps she was already in the pool house calling for help.

The stranger started chuckling darkly. "I believe she's too busy drowning to answer you."

"She can swim very well and hold her breath for long periods of time."

"Maybe. Although she did hit her head before she fell in. It would be a pity if you were wrong." He smirked.

I glanced over my shoulder one more time before a feeling of dread filled me. He started shaking with laughter, which made my anger flare. I decked him in his already injured eye knocking him out.

I jumped to my feet and rushed to the edge of the pool. There was an unnerving silence, and I could see Bella at the bottom; the only movement was her hair flowing freely around her lifeless body. I dove into the water and wrapped her up in my arms, pulling her back to the surface.

"Bella?" I cupped her face, but it laid listlessly to the side.

She didn't seem to be breathing, and her pulse was weak. She was bleeding from the back of her head. Her neck was red, and you could make out finger marks.

 _Shit!_

I got us to the edge and out as quickly as possible—I laid her down and tilted her head to the side allowing the water to drain. I then angled it back and started mouth to mouth.

"Come on, sweetheart, open your eyes and yell at me for saving you or something," I begged as I pulled my shirt off and placed it under the back of her head.

I yanked my phone out of my pocket and prayed the ads were right, and it had survived being under water. The screen came to life, and I hit the emergency button.

"911, what is your emergency?"

"I arrived at my friend's house to witness her being attacked by a man. She hit her head and fell into the pool, I got her out, but she's not breathing, and her pulse is weak. The back of her head is bleeding.

"I'm certified, and I started CPR, but she's going to need an ambulance. I also managed to knock out the assailant." I rushed out then paused to give Bella another couple of breaths.

Come on.

Breathe.

"What is your address?"

I rattled it off quickly.

"I'm sending someone to help you. Stay on the phone with me."

It had seemed like forever before I heard sirens in the distance. However, I didn't give up on Bella. I heard voices and soon realized that not only were a couple of EMTs and police officers headed in my direction—but also Renée and Phil.

"My Baby! What have you done; get away from her!" Renée started hitting me with her purse.

"I'm trying to help her. She's not breathing." I held up my free hand to avoid getting smacked.

Phil pulled Renée back and embraced her as she continued to scream at me.

"Sir, let us take over." One of the EMTs pushed me out of the way as he knelt beside Bella.

"I want him arrested for assault and attempted murder." Renée pointed her finger at me.

"I saved her—if I weren't here she would've drowned, or that guy would've killed her," I yelled back, completely frustrated.

"Everyone calm down," a police officer, who could rival Emmett in size, ordered—his metal tag read Garrett.

He turned to me. "Explain to us what has happened?"

"He's the pool boy, and he has been stalking my daughter," Renée snapped.

"Were you here when this happened?" Officer Garrett asked.

"No, we were at a party down the street. We arrived about the same time," Phil answered.

"Let, me speak with…" He looked at me.

"Edward Cullen, sir," I answered politely.

"Go ahead, Edward."

I calmly told him everything I saw—the whole time my eyes were on Bella as they tried to help her. They were working quietly, and I wished I could hear what they were saying. It appeared they got her breathing, but she still wasn't awake. They loaded her onto a stretcher.

"We are going to move her," the EMT called out.

The second officer walked into the bushes and came back quickly.

"There appears to have been a tussle with some trampled plants, but there's no one there." Officer Marks told Garrett.

"How do we know he's telling the truth. He still hasn't explained why he was here this late at night. For all we know, he's lying about the other man. I'm pressing charges. Do your job officer, or do I have to call your boss," Renée insisted.

"Ma'am. If you allow me, I am trying to do just that by getting the facts first." He looked as if he was losing his patience. He turned to Phil. "I see cameras, can we look at the footage?"

"Yes, one moment." Phil pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He clicked away and frowned. "They were shut off before Isabella was dropped off by her boyfriend."

"That's right, officer, Jasper Whitlock, is her boyfriend." Renée shot me a nasty, pompous look.

"We are going to have to take you in, Mr. Cullen," Garrett said sternly.

"I was telling the truth," I begged. "Please, I need to know if she's okay."

"My daughter is none of your concern. I'm going to make sure you stay away from her if it's the last thing I do." Renée stormed away following the men with the stretcher.

"You have the right to remain silent…"

I tuned out everything else as I watched them all fade into shadows. It felt as if my heart had been ripped out and crushed.

I should care that I'm going to jail.

I should care about how the cuffs felt as they dug into my wrists.

I should care that this arrest could destroy my future.

But all I cared about was that Bella was injured, and I wasn't sure if she would survive.

 **MoU**

"Cullen!"

The metal door slid open with a clang.

"Your lawyer and your father are here." Officer Garrett ushered me down the dimly lit hallway.

He led me into a stark white room with a table and few folding chairs. My father and his friend, Mr. Jenks, were already seated. I sank into the seat opposite them and rested my hands on the table.

"Let us know when you're ready to give your statement and answer some questions," he said as he closed the door.

"How is she?" I blurted out looking at my father.

"I don't know, son. You know hospital policies. They can't give out information to non-family members, and you know that her mother won't tell us anything." My father gave me an apologetic smile.

I slumped in my chair and rested my face in my hands. "Of course not."

"Jasper is headed there as we speak, so hopefully, he'll have some new information soon. You said she had a pulse, and she was breathing when the ambulance left, right?"

I nodded. "She hit her head, and she was bleeding."

"Well, chances are there might be some swelling, and she's in a coma. However, I can't say for sure since I haven't seen her charts."

Mr. Jenks cleared his throat. "Gentleman, I think we should move on to get Edward out of here."

"The sooner, the better, then I could go the hospital myself." I sighed.

"I am afraid that won't be possible. You're being accused of attempted murder, assault, and trespassing. You'll most likely be strapped with a restraining order if they release you." He set his briefcase on the table.

"But I'm innocent. We made plans to meet at the pool house. I saved her from that other guy," I explained.

"There was another guy arrested?" Mr. Jenks looked hopeful.

"No, he was gone by the time the police got there."

He frowned and started making notes on a pad. "Tell me what happened from start to finish.

A short time later, Officer Garrett joined us, and I gave my official statement. He allowed my father to stay as long as he didn't interfere. Every once in awhile, he would interrupt to ask me questions.

"Let me make sure I have this straight. Jasper Whitlock is your roommate and was only pretending to date Isabella Dwyer. And you had plans to meet her during the party at her pool house." He looked down at his notes.

"Yes, sir."

"I'll need a deposition from him. The best hope is for Miss Dwyer to wake up soon to give us her account. But that is all for now." He closed the folder.

"She's isn't awake? Is she going to be okay?" I leaned forward in my seat, praying for any information on her well-being.

Garrett gave me a hard look before his face slipped into one of pity. "I am not permitted to tell you. But off the record, she's in a coma, but the doctor is hopeful she'll wake soon."

"Have you seen this before?" He pushed a bag towards me.

Inside was an expensive, sapphire diamond necklace. I shook my head, and he nodded, pulling it back to him.

"When will bail be posted," my father asked.

"There will be an arraignment tomorrow—the courthouse is closed on Sundays. Until then we can't let him go since one of the charges is attempted murder, and he's the main suspect at this time," Garrett informed us.

"Am I allowed to bring my client a change of clothes?" Mr. Jenks stood.

I was grateful he asked since I didn't want to show up in court wearing the orange jumpsuit they gave me since my other clothing was soaked.

"That is allowed. Mr. Cullen, come with me."

He brought me back to my cell where all I could do was sit and wait.

 **MoU**

Late in the afternoon, I was led to the same room—this time, Jasper was waiting for me.

"Hey, man, you look worse for wear." He smiled sadly. "Your parents sent these for you." He slid me a pile of clean clothes.

"I've had better days that's for sure. Any news on how she is?" I sat in the seat warily.

"She's still in a coma when I left. There was some swelling due to the head trauma, but it's gone down considerably since last night. There's bruising on her neck and arms. The doctor seems hopeful that she should wake before morning. She's isn't on any life support at the moment so that is good. She's going to be okay, Edward," he promised.

"That guy is still out there. What if he comes back for her while she's in the hospital." I lowered my voice.

"Renée and Phil haven't left the hospital. Phil seems as worried as you—I may be reading him wrong but I think he believes you about the other guy. He demanded that police post an officer at her door, just in case you were telling the truth. I'll try to be there as much as possible. However, I'm not sure if my cover will be blown with them since I was honest with my deposition here. I'm not sure how quickly that will get to them," Jasper explained.

He settled back in his seat, and I could tell there was more on his mind.

"What aren't you telling me?" I asked.

"I got information back on Charles Swan in Washington." His face was blank.

"And?" I prompted.

"He died six years ago. I don't have any details on his death yet. I can proceed if we think it was him." He tapped his fingers on the table.

"Six years ago?" There goes my theory that it was Bella's inheritance not Renée's.

"Should I continue?" he asked.

"I think we should leave that up to Bella. I was hoping her father would be the answer." I sighed heavily.

"We'll figure something out—she won't be alone. I bet your mom would adopt her in a heartbeat just like she's done with all of us." He grinned.

"She would." I smiled softly. "Please keep me posted and thanks for the clothes."

"Will do. Hang in there, we'll get you out of here as soon we can." Jasper stood.

"I hope so, this place is far from the Ritz." I smirked.

 **A/N:**

 **Just when you thought you couldn't hate Renée any more than you did. Thoughts?**

 **Thank you for all the reviews and love you have given my story.**


	16. Chapter 15

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 15**

An irritating beeping filled my ears as I blinked open my eyes to focus on the unfamiliar white ceiling. My head throbbed painfully, making it hard to think clearly. Something felt as if it were up my nose so I tried to remove it when a large hand wrapped around my wrist stopping me.

"You need to leave that there until the doctor says it's okay," a stern voice explained.

I turned my head to see Phil sitting in the chair beside my bed. He looked worse for wear,—still dressed in his tux, but it was rumpled, and his jaw had stubble from not shaving. His tired eyes looked relieved to see me.

"Ph—" My voice was hoarse and sore, and I started to cough.

He poured some water from a pitcher then passed me the cup. "Here."

He stood and walked over to a cot set up in the corner. "Ren, honey, she's awake." He shook her shoulder gently.

She sat up, and I was shocked to see her looking so disheveled. Her dress was wrinkled, and her makeup was smeared around her eyes. The last time I saw her looking like that I was ten years old, and she had snuck back into the house after being gone all night.

"Isabella, baby, thank goodness you're all right. We've been so worried about you," she lamented as leaned down to kiss my cheek.

I scanned the room quickly, wishing that Edward was here. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since the discord with Renée seemed to run deep. He had to be the one that saved me since he was the only one around.

Unless he was hurt by the stranger.

My chest swelled with anxiety. "Where's—" I was cut off again by my coughing.

I drank some more water as the door opened and man in a white coat entered. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

"My head hurts and so does my throat." I lifted my right arm to touch my head and winced. "My arm too." I choked out in a hoarse whisper.

He started to examine me. "I'm not surprised about your head. You appeared to have hit it very hard. The stitches look to be healing well. I can get you something for the pain. Is it the inside of your throat or the outside that's bothering you?" he inquired.

"Inside."

"Probably irritated from the anesthetic and possibly from swallowing chlorinated water. It should go away on its own, once you get more hydrated." He moved to the other side of the bed.

He lifted my arm and started to examine it. "Where on your arm does it hurt the most?"

I pointed with my other hand; his fingers grazed a large area that looked swollen and bruised. He lifted and bent it gently, and I winced from the pain.

"I don't feel any breaks, but we'll get a scan to be sure," he assessed.

He pulled a penlight out of his coat pocket and clicked it on. "Follow the light."

He moved it back and forth slowly. "Good…good. Still slightly dilated but much better than before."

"Can you tell me your birthday?" He put away his light and then went to the small computer at the side of the bed.

"September 13, 1995."

"How about your mother's maiden name?" he asked.

"Higgenbotham."

"Do you remember what happened?"

"I was attacked in my yard and in the struggle, I fell into the pool. I must have hit my head on the diving board," I recalled.

"I'd like to keep you a little longer for observation." He finished typing.

"Can this be removed." I pointed at the tube in my nose.

"Yes, I don't think you need that anymore." He gently pulled it out and turned off the machine. "I'll send in a nurse with some pain medication and someone should be down from radiology soon to get you." He left a moment later.

I took a few more sips of water and relaxed against the pillows. I hoped I could be in my own bed tonight; I hated hospitals.

"Now that you're awake, I think Phil and I should go home for a bit, you don't mind do you, Isabella? I need a shower, and to change out of these clothes. Also, something to eat, I'm famished, and the food is simply dreadful. Give us a call when they're ready to release you and we'll send a car." Renée hooked her purse over her shoulder.

"I don't know if we should leave just yet." Phil glanced at me worriedly.

"I'll be fine. But I have some questions first. What happened to Edward? Is he okay?"

"Don't worry about him, he can't hurt you now that he's locked up in jail. We'll make sure that he's punished to the fullest extent of the law," Renée said coldly.

"What? Why is he in jail? He would never hurt me …" I sat up, and the heart monitor started to race next to me.

"Calm down, we can talk about this later," Renée lectured.

I took a deep breath but couldn't relax. "Edward saved my life."

"Your mother is right, you shouldn't get worked up, or they're going to sedate you. Quietly tell us what happened." Phil seemed concerned.

"I went down to the pool after Jasper dropped me off, and this man with dreadlocks approached me. I asked him to leave, and he wouldn't—he knocked my phone out of my hand, and it fell into the pool. I tried to run, but he caught me and started to choke me. Edward tackled him, and I got pushed backward. I then fell into the pool hitting my head. I don't remember anything after that. Edward must have pulled me out and saved me. They've got the wrong person. We have to tell the police," I pleaded.

"Why would that boy even be there at that time of night. I swear he's obsessed with Isabella and stalking her. For all we know, this could be a setup," Renée snapped.

Phil frowned and dug his phone out of his pocket. He tapped at the screen then handed it to me. "Is this him?"

The image was grainy, but there was no mistaking the guy.

"Yes that's him. Where did you get that?" A small amount of dread filled me.

Edward couldn't be right about Phil could he?

"It's from the surveillance cameras at the dealership. They have been cooperating with us fully. This was the man that worked on your car and got it ready to leave the lot. He had only been with the company for two weeks prior then disappeared without a trace a week later. The authorities haven't been able to locate him, and it seems that the documentation that the dealership had on him was false. They recalled all vehicles that he worked on, but so far nothing seems amiss with any of them." He seemed upset.

"So Edward is in league with this man," Renée concluded.

"No. Not at all!" I cried incredulously.

"Then I repeat, why was he there?" She narrowed his eyes.

I realized I was going to have to come clean about our relationship. I knew the idea was risky, but now Edward was in jail.

"I invited him, I was supposed to meet him after leaving the party. We've been dating," I admitted.

"What about that charming young man, Jasper. How could you do this to him?" Renée clasped her hand against her chest dramatically.

"Jasper knows. He's Edward's roommate."

Her hand dropped to her side. "You promised me that you would stay away from that boy. He's turned you into a liar and sneak, which is why he's no good for you. At least, I can have peace of mind that he won't be around you anymore. He can kiss his job good-bye." Renée sneered.

"What are you talking about—you can't fire him. How is that going to look that you fired him after he saved my life? He could sue you for wrongful termination." I sat up and the motor went crazy.

"I am your mother, don't you tell me what to do! I'm the one who raised you on my own, working myself to the bone to take care of you. I only asked you one thing, to stay away from the Cullen boy. I'm done with this conversation, we're leaving," she ranted and started to storm towards the door.

"Why do you hate the Cullens so much? All they've ever done was try to help us."

"Help?" She whirled around and glared at me harshly. "They brainwashed you against me. According to them, I was an unfit mother. That Esme was always looking down on me, buying you things I couldn't, and making sure you ate at their place—like I couldn't feed or take care of you myself."

"No one was looking down on you," I insisted.

"You ungrateful brat! After all I've done for you—this is how you treat me. You know what, fine. If you love the Cullens so much, you can be their problem from now on," she snapped at me.

A nurse burst threw the door and looked wildly around. "What on earth is going on in here? This patient needs her rest, her monitor is off the charts, I am going to have to ask you leave."

"You don't need to ask, I'm gone." Renée fled from the room. "Phil!"

I looked over at him warily; I had forgotten he was in the room. He gave me a sad smile as he stood from his chair.

"I should catch up with her, we don't know where this guy is, and I don't want her to go home alone until he's found. You have an officer outside your room. I'll call the police to let them know they have the wrong man. They will probably want to talk to you."

"Phil!"

"Sir, this is a hospital. I will have security escort her out if she can't be respectful of other patients." The nurse looked annoyed.

"I'm sorry. We're leaving now," Phil apologized then turned back to me. "She's overtired and stressed about you being hurt. I'm sure once she calms down we can have a civil conversation."

He left the room, and the nurse shook her head. She glanced at me and her face softened. She reminded me of Edward and Alice's grandmother, Elizabeth. A gentle and soft-spoken woman unless someone pissed her off.

"Here, dear, dry your eyes and take a deep breath. We need to get your heart rate down; if you don't, I'm going to have to sedate you." She handed me a tissue.

I took it and wiped my eye. I hadn't even realized I'd been crying. "Thank you. I'm sorry about that."

"Hush, dear, you need to rest your voice, I'll see if I can get you some broth or Italian ice to help you. And don't you worry about a thing, trust me, I believe it was all her. She has been driving the nurses on the floor crazy. We are not her maids." She pulled out a syringe and a vial from her pocket.

She opened the package and then filled it with the clear medication. She walked over to the I.V. and stuck the tip into a valve in the line.

"This is a mild painkiller. Someone from radiology should be here shortly to get you. When you return, we can see about getting you something to eat. Are you hungry?" She smoothed the blanket and adjusted my pillow.

"A little." I still felt out of sorts.

"What day is it?" I asked.

"Monday morning. You were brought in shortly before Midnight on Saturday," she answered with a smile.

 **MoU**

It was early afternoon, and I was bored out of my mind watching an old sitcom. I felt better than I did earlier when I first woke. Having some chicken noodle soup and then a grilled cheese sandwich gave me some strength. My head was still sore, but better than before. The I.V. was removed after I proved I could keep down the food.

"Miss." Embry, my security guard, poked his head into the room. "You have some visitors. Do you know an Alice and a Rose?"

"I do, please let them in." I clicked off the TV.

He nodded and disappeared, only to be replaced by my two friends. They both hurried over to my bed.

"I'm so glad that you're all right." Alice threw a bag down on a chair then hugged me tightly.

I winced but returned the squeeze. "Hi, Alice."

"Careful, I think you're hurting her," Rose scolded.

Alice jumped back with wide eyes. "I'm sorry."

Rose leaned down and gave me a softer hug.

"It's okay, I'm just a bit banged up. It's good to see you guys." I smiled then glanced at the door hoping Edward was close behind them.

"I brought you some clothes. I checked with a nurse, she said you could change if it would make you more comfortable." Alice put the bag on the bed gaining my attention.

She pulled out a soft looking pair of blue plaid, lounge pants with a simple blue cotton top. She helped me change and then tossed the hospital gown in the laundry bucket in the room.

"Thank you, this is much better," I grinned at her.

"No problem. I also brought another set for you for when they release you. Do you know when that will be?" She sat cross-legged in the chair.

"No, I was hoping for today. How's Edward? Is he mad, is that why he hasn't come?" I asked.

They exchanged a look, and Alice's smile faltered. "He's still in jail. The judge denied bail since one of the charges is attempted murder."

"What? But Phil promised he would call to say they have the wrong guy?" I went to stand quickly and felt a wave of dizziness.

"Whoa." Rose caught me and forced me to sit.

"I have to get to the police station," I insisted, trying once again to stand. However, Rose kept a hand on my shoulder to prevent me from doing so.

"Dad said the police needed a statement from you before they would drop the charges. He also said that from his hospital experience they will send someone to you. They usually have to wait for clearance from the doctor. If they haven't sent someone yet, then it should be soon," Alice explained.

"Not soon enough if Edward is unfairly behind bars, and that's why I need to get down there." Not understanding why they weren't on the same page as me.

I felt an overwhelming surge of guilt. If I hadn't asked Edward to meet me, he wouldn't be in jail right now.

There was a knock on the door and a large officer came into the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I was hoping to have a talk with you, Isabella. I'm Officer Garrett, and I have been assigned your case."

"Please, come in." I nodded enthusiastically.

"We'll go to the cafeteria. Can we get you anything?" Rose asked.

I shook my head, and they both disappeared out the door. As soon as it shut, Officer Garrett took one of their vacant seats.

"I need to ask you a few questions. Do you mind if I tape our conversation?" he asked.

"No that's fine." I was eager to get this all done with so Edward would be released.

He pulled out a small recorder and placed it on the hospital tray.

"Can you tell me everything you remember about Saturday night when you returned home,"

I explained with detail everything that happened, from Jasper, dropping me off until I blacked out in the pool. He watched me stoically without interrupting.

"You said this man was vaguely familiar to you?" he asked.

"Yes, but I can't remember from where." That part bugged me as I racked my brain.

He had clearly known me, but how?

"Do you know of any reason why he would want to hurt you?"

"No, but my brand new car had bad brakes. My friends, Rosalie and Emmett, noticed it when taking it for a spin; they're both mechanics. They thought something was amiss, so on their advice, I took it to Clearwater Auto to get it checked. Emmett worked on it himself and we have proof that the brake parts were not new."

Phil showed me a picture of the man who worked on my car at the dealership, who must have tampered with the brakes—it was the same man who attacked me. However, I had never been to the dealership myself, so I don't know how he knew me," I answered.

"Are you sure about that?" he questioned.

"Positive."

"How is your life at home? Do you get along with your step-father and mother?"

"Phil is great, we have a good relationship. My mother, well…she can be difficult. She sets high standards and is a bit controlling. But I don't think she would ever try to hurt me," I admitted.

He clicked off his recorder and placed it back in his breast pocket. "Thank you, Isabella. That is all for now."

"Will Edward be released now? He has done nothing wrong." I chewed on my lip and waited for his response.

"As soon as I pass on this information to my superiors, and it's cleared by a judge, he should be immediately released. I wager he'll be home for dinner tonight." Garrett smiled at me.

"And this won't be on his record or anything, would it? He's trying to get into law school." I was worried that saving me might have ruined his future.

"No, the slate should be wiped clean so you don't have to worry about that. Thank you for speaking with me. We're going to find the right guy and make sure he is held accountable. If you can think of anything else or if you remember how you know this man, don't hesitate to call me."

He placed a card on the table before leaving.

 **A/N:  
So she's awake and still remembers everything. I know a few were concerned that she would have amnesia. **

**Thank you for all the reviews and love you have given my story.**


	17. Chapter 16

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 16**

"Staring at the clock won't make it go faster," Rose chided then snickered.

"I know…I know." I groaned covering my eyes with my hands.

The day just seemed to be dragging by.

"Bella, you have to relax. Your anxiety is why they're keeping you tonight. I'm sure he'll call, if not stop by as soon as he's out. Come on, let's watch a movie, it'll distract you." Alice flipped through the channels. "Ooo… _Princess Bride_ , I know you like that one."

I smiled half-heartedly as we watched since all it did was reminded me of the other night. It only kept me entertained for a couple of minutes before I once again glanced at the clock. The dinner tray arrived an hour ago, and I had picked at it, too preoccupied to eat.

Officer Garrett said by dinnertime, didn't he?

"What if he's not coming because he's mad at me?"

"Why would he be mad at you?" Alice looked at me in astonishment. She was curled up in a chair trying to get comfortable.

"If I hadn't asked him to meet me, he wouldn't have been arrested," I answered.

"Jasper said Edward was more worried about you than he was about himself. He'll be here, I know my brother," Alice replied sincerely.

"If he wasn't there you would've been seriously harmed…if not dead. I doubt he would regret that," Rose said calmingly as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Another thought dawned on me.

"What if Renée told the guard he wasn't allowed in?" I questioned.

"Now _that_ seems more likely." Rose stood and walked out of the room without another word.

The door reopened a few minutes later. I looked up expecting to see Rose, but it was Edward, looking exhausted and carrying a small bouquet of flowers. He caught my eyes, and a look of relief spread across his face.

"Edward." I lunged from the bed too quickly and had a dizzy spell.

"Whoa." Edward strode forward quickly and caught me. "I don't think you should be out of bed."

"I don't care. I'm so, so, sorry that you were thrown in jail because of me. I'm so glad you're out of there." I hugged him tightly, burying my face into his chest as tears overflowed my eyes.

"Shhhh, sweetheart, please don't cry. None of this was your fault. Only the man that attacked you, and your mother, for thinking that I would hurt you." He rubbed my back soothingly.

After a moment, he picked me up and placed me back on the bed. I huffed in protest. However, he just smirked and pulled a chair as close to the bed as possible. He then handed me the flowers that he had dropped at the end of the bed in his haste.

"For you."

"They're beautiful." I sniffed the lilac colored roses.

"I'm glad you like them. How are you?" He held my hand.

"Better now that you're here. Thank you for saving me." I felt more relaxed now that he was sitting next to me.

"You don't have to thank me. But, unfortunately, whoever tried to hurt you got away. I hope the police find him quickly, I hate the idea he's still out there. At least, you should be safe here with an officer outside the door. He wouldn't even let me in. I was arguing out there for ten minutes before Rose appeared and insisted that you wanted to see me."

"Tha…" I glanced around the room but noticed she and Alice were missing. "When did they leave?"

"When you were busy swooning over me." Edward cracked a smile.

I blushed. "You're not going to get a swelled head now are you?"

"Is that the thanks I get," he scoffed teasingly.

"Forgive me. My hero." I batted my eyes.

"Much better." He laughed.

I burst into giggles, and I leaned against the pillows. I winced as I bumped my tender spot. "Ow."

"Looks like you're the one with a swollen head." Edward's laughter ceased.

His eyes inspected the rest of me and narrowed in on my neck. His jaw clenched, and he squeezed my hand so tightly that I couldn't wiggle my fingers. He must have caught on quickly as he let go and looked remorseful.

"What's wrong?"

"Have you looked in a mirror?" he asked.

"I look that terrible." I bit my lip and fought to hold back my tears.

"You're beautiful as always." His tone softened. "I was talking about how you can clearly see the fingers marks on your neck from that guy. I'll kill him myself if I ever see him again."

"Hopefully, there will never be a next time. I much prefer that mark that you left on me." I cringed when I realized how horrible it sounded. "Of course, I mean…"

"I know what you meant." Edward interrupted with a half-hearted smile.

"Did Officer Garrett tell you that it was the same guy that messed with my car?" I asked.

"No, no one told me anything. I had to beg them to tell me how you were." He looked upset.

"Phil had part of a surveillance video from the dealership of the man that worked on my car. From the investigation there, my car was the only one that was tampered with," I explained.

"You're being targeted. I don't like this at all. Please, tell me you told them about your window."

"Why would they need to know about hail breaking my window?" I asked confused.

Edward sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You know that I work at nearly every house on the street. Your window—your bedroom window with a balcony—was the only one broken during that storm in your neighborhood; when you were supposed to be home alone."

I shivered, and my heart skipped a beat as his statement settled in my brain. How long has this man been after me? It was clear that none of this was random. But why me? Was Renée right all this time to be paranoid about having the money?

"What bugs me the most is that I should know him. He asked if I remembered him, and he looked familiar, but I can't for the life of me place from where." I hit the mattress out of frustration.

"Do you see him at the dealership?" he asked calmly.

"No, I never went there."

"School? Could he have been in one of your classes or on campus?" he suggested.

I thought about it and shook my head. "Not the rec center either. It's like right there, I know I should know him, but ugh…"

"Hey, he's not going to touch you ever again—I promise. I'll be there to protect you." Edward wiped a stray tear from my cheek.

"You can't be there all of the time. You have to work, and you're going to have school. Besides, what's stopping him from hurting you? Or anyone else?" I started to panic.

"Sweetheart, take a deep breath. Everyone is fine. Whoever he is, he'll probably be laying low for awhile. He has to know the police are looking for him right now, and that he would be stupid to try anything." He climbed onto the bed with me and held me to him. "You probably can't think of how you know him because you're trying too hard."

I sniffled and nodded; I cuddled into him, laying my head on his chest. "You're probably right."

We just sat in silence holding one another. The steady beating of his heart was relaxing, and I felt my eyes drifting close. A small rumble from his belly vibrated, and my eyes opened.

"Excuse me." Edward sounded embarrassed.

"When was the last time you ate?" I sat up and looked at him.

He shrugged guiltily. "I haven't had much since the arrest. I couldn't eat while worried about you. Once I was released, I quickly showered at the apartment before heading here."

I understood what he meant since I had felt the same way about him. "You should go get something to eat," I said reluctantly since the last thing I wanted was for him to leave.

"The others were going to bring me some dinner when they get back from the cafeteria. I think they wanted to give us a few minutes alone. I'm glad that they did." He tilted my head and placed a soft kiss on my lips.

"We're back!" Emmett sang as he entered the room loudly.

"I swear they do this on purpose," Edward grumbled.

"Eddie, dude, get off Bella and keep it in your pants until she out of the hospital. Is that the type of behavior you learned in the slammer," Emmett scolded with a large grin on his face.

"Don't be a jerk, Emmett. I was only kissing her that's it." Edward slid off the bed and back to his chair.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" Emmett came over to the bed and held out a giant mylar balloon.

"I've been better. Why does it say _Congratulations, It's a Girl_?" I looked up the large, pink object that bounced off my ceiling.

"They were out of _Get Well Soon,_ and well, you are a girl after all." He grinned cheekily.

"You know, just in case you forgot." Jasper snickered as he placed a small stuffed bear on the table.

"Thank you both." I smiled at them.

"We brought food for you two; it's not gourmet, but it should be decent." Alice moved the bear over and then set down a styrofoam container filled with french fries, chicken tenders, pizza slices, and pudding.

"Looks, good. Thanks, sis." Edward grabbed one of the slices of pizza. He took a large bite then opened the milk Rose handed over.

"I owe you an apology, Bella. I should have stayed with you until Edward arrived. If I did you wouldn't have been hurt." Jasper looked contrite.

"What happened isn't your fault—you had no way of knowing. However, I think the jig is up. Renée and Phil know you're not my real boyfriend." I selected a fry, then started to nibble on it.

"I figured they would find out when I gave m _y_ _affidavit_ to the police." He looked uncertain.

"I'm the one who actually told them. It came out when I freaked over Edward being accused of trying to kill me. She demanded to know why he was there at that time of night, so I ended up telling her," I admitted.

"I bet your mom loved that," Rose said sarcastically.

"That would be an understatement. She flipped out, saying how Edward wasn't good for me, and that she was going to fire him. She was even more furious when I told her how bad she would look for dismissing the person that saved my life. She finally confessed why she hates your family so much. It's because she thought Esme looked down on her, and thought Renee couldn't take care of me properly." I frowned thinking about the conversation from earlier.

It seemed like it was forever ago and not just this morning. It made me realize I hadn't heard from Renée or Phil since.

"So that's why," Alice murmured.

"You say it like it makes sense. Mom never did that, Renée is delusional," Edward snapped.

"Maybe, maybe not. Of course, we know that Mom would never do that intentionally; however, it _is_ possible that Renée really felt that way. She wouldn't be the first person I know whose pride got in the way, and they overreacted to people trying to help them." Alice shot Edward a look.

Edward opened his mouth to retort, but Jasper beat him to it.

"That doesn't excuse or explain how she treats Bella—the woman is horrid. I'm sorry, Bella, I know she's your Ma, but that doesn't allow her to speak to you or about you the way she does." Jasper scowled.

"I know, and I agree. I've just always ignored her when she got that way." I sighed.

"I wasn't saying it excuses Renée either. I only meant it explains her feelings towards my family. Frankly, I think she's jealous of Bella, that's why she's a bitch to her. She says she wants Bella to have the things she didn't, but I think she's actually resentful. Maybe she's so controlling because in some twisted messed up way, she's trying to live vicariously through her." Alice finished and then glanced around the room at everyone else.

"I think the pixie hit the nail on the head." Emmett nodded his head thoughtfully.

"Thanks, Hagrid." Alice's eyes narrowed since she hated that nickname.

"I guess that could be it." Edward looked unconvinced.

"I, for one, am done hearing about Renée, and I'm sure Bella is too. Let's move on to happier topics," Rose announced.

I shot her a grateful look. "Yes, please something happier."

"Your twenty-first birthday is a month away. I think we should celebrate by bar crawling in Boston the weekend after, since your birthday falls mid-week. I'm sure Mom would love to throw a dinner party on your birthday. Which reminds me, I already talked to her. She will have Edward's old room set up for you tomorrow." Alice switched gears easily and started to get excited.

"My old room?" Edward looked confused.

"Why not? It isn't like you're using it, and Mom would never let her sleep on the couch." Alice shrugged.

"I didn't get a chance to tell him yet. I was kicked out by Renee when I sided with your family," I explained.

"Well, then you can come and stay with me. Mom works during the day, you're going to need someone around the next few days," Edward insisted, squeezing my hand gently.

"You work during the day too," I reminded him.

"I don't know if I even still have any jobs left." He looked uncertain.

"You better. I'll call them all myself if I have to explain." I started to get upset once more.

"She's right, you have a valid excuse as to why you missed today. I'm sure they won't want to deal with a lawsuit for unfair dismissal. It would be bad press for them to fire a hero. You should show up tomorrow as if nothing had happened," Jasper agreed with me.

"I don't want to leave you alone. You're not going to be back to one hundred percent, and that guy is still out there," Edward pleaded with me. The concern in his eyes was visible.

"I have the morning off, so I can pick her up and stay with her," Emmett suggested. "Just let the fool try to go through me—I'll snap him in two."

"Plus, I only work at the library until noon. So I can go back to the apartment afterward," Jasper pointed out.

"I have Wednesday off, and Jasper has Thursday; Mom and Dad Saturday," Alice piped up.

"And I have Friday," Rose said.

Edward, however, looked more put out rather than calmed. I knew he wanted to be the one that took care of me. I tugged on his hand to get him to look at me; he glanced over with a sad smile.

"And you'll be back in your apartment every night after work," I said cheerfully.

"You'll stay with me?" He seemed pleased.

"I will since you asked. I wasn't going to invite myself." I grinned.

"Why not? You're still stealing my clothes." He tugged on the sleeve of the shirt.

"Not my fault this time—Alice did it." I pointed at her.

She stuck her tongue out at me playfully; Edward laughed then kissed my forehead lovingly. Rose giggled softly, and the boys smirked at us. The mood in the room was lighter.

"Hey, I remember this movie. It was the bomb when we were kids." Emmett turned his attention to the screen.

"I thought you hated it because it was a 'kissing movie,'" I teased.

"There's nothing wrong with kissing." Em winked at Rose.

My nurse entered the room, glanced around and pursed her lips for a moment. "Visiting hours end in five minutes. I'll ignore the fact that there are more than two of you in this room since this is the most relaxed I have seen Bella all day. However, everyone should be on their way," she said firmly.

They stood and started to gather their things, except for Edward who remained planted in his seat and looked as if he might refuse to move. I held on to his hand tightly, the thought of him leaving made me anxious.

"Em, I need your number. My phone is probably still at the bottom of the pool," I called out before he left the room.

"Right. I need pen and paper." He started to pat himself coming up empty handed and looked around the room.

"Here." Sue, my nurse, handed him a pen and pad of _Post-its_ from the pocket of her scrubs.

"Thank you, kind lady." Emmett smiled then quickly wrote down his information.

He handed me the first sheet before returning the rest to Sue. "I get up early so don't be afraid to call when they're ready to spring you."

After some quick goodbyes and hugs, the four of them left the room.

"Sir, you too." Sue glanced at Edward as she strapped on the blood pressure cuff.

"Can't I please stay the night?" Edward begged her.

"And who are you?" She arched an eyebrow.

"My soulmate; please let him stay. I'll sleep better if he's here in the room with me," I implored and clutched his hand tighter.

She eyed us both carefully for a moment. "I'll overlook it as long as you both sleep, and I do mean sleep. Her in the bed, and him over there. I'll get you a new pillow and blanket for the cot. Any funny business, and he's out. Lights out at nine, kids." She finished up and left the room.

"I can't remember having a bedtime before." I giggled.

"I think I was twelve the last time my parents enforced one. But I could sleep, I'm exhausted. I didn't get much sleep the past few nights." Edward smiled tiredly.

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

"Stop that."

"Edward?" I had something I wanted to tell him and I didn't want to wait any longer.

"Yes?" he tilted his head.

"This may not be the time and place for this declaration, but I love you," I announced shyly.

His face broke out into a breathtaking grin.

"I love you too, sweetheart." He then leaned down to kiss me.

 **A/N:  
Do you think Alice assessment of Renée is right? **

**Thank you for all the love and reviews you have given my story.**


	18. Chapter 17

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 17**

I woke up to an empty room the next morning. My head throbbed a bit, and my muscles were sore; however, I felt better than the day before. I had a hazy memory of Edward saying goodbye to me before he left for work.

"Well, you're looking much better than yesterday." Leah, the nurse that threw Renée out of the room, entered.

"I feel a lot better," I agreed, sitting up as she checked my vitals.

"I'm sure the young man that left this morning had nothing to do with it," she teased.

"I was worried about him yesterday and couldn't relax until I knew he was okay," I admitted.

"Pain level on a scale from one to ten?" she asked.

"Maybe between five and six. My head hurts the most, but everything else is tolerable," I answered truthfully but hoped that it wouldn't keep me from being released.

"I can get you something for the pain. The doctor should start his rounds shortly; I suggest you order your breakfast while you wait," she suggested.

"Will I be leaving today?" I asked.

"You're scheduled to unless the doctor sees a reason that you need to still be watched," she answered.

An hour and a half later, I was sitting on the edge of the bed dressed and ready to go. I was expecting Emmett to come any moment now, and I was itching to leave the hospital. The door opened, and the man I didn't expect to see entered the room.

"Phil? What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I came to see how you were doing. I apologize for not checking on you last night. I don't know what happened. I laid down to take a nap and the next thing I knew it was eleven o'clock. I called, but the nurse told me you were sleeping, so I didn't want to wake you. How are you feeling? You look better." He sat on the edge of the chair.

"I do feel better, and they're releasing me. I'm just waiting for my ride. He should be here any minute." I glanced at the door.

"Edward?" he asked cautiously.

"Another friend of mine, Emmett. He's from the old neighborhood; he's actually the mechanic that fixed my car. I took it to Em because I knew he was someone I could trust," I informed him.

"Isn't that same guy you recently wrote out a large check to?" His eyes narrowed some.

"How did you know about that?" I asked suspiciously.

"I keep an eye on the accounts, and it's unusual for you to dole out that much money." He looked troubled.

"Emmett lost his job a few weeks ago, a last hired, first fired type of thing. He got a new job at Clearwater's right away; however, there was a lapse between checks and he needed a little assistance paying his grandmother's nursing home. For the record, I offered, he didn't ask. He's going to pay me back; we have a payment plan in motion. I wasn't aware that I needed to run things by you." I felt irritated he was checking up on me.

"I wouldn't want anyone to take advantage of you, Bella. I know that you're a nice person, and some people would use that against you." He tried to placate me. "Since I'm here, you can call and tell him that I can bring you home."

"Except, I'm not going back home, or at least not to Renée's. She kicked me out remember?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure your mother didn't mean that. She was overtired and worried about you. Of course, you still have home with us." Phil frowned.

"If she's so worried about me, where is she?" I asked spitefully.

"Lying down with a migraine; the last few days have been stressful," he answered.

"No offense to you, Phil, but I think time apart would do us both good," I explained.

"Where will you go? The police haven't caught your attacker yet." He seemed concerned.

"I'll be staying with friends."

"Edward," he stated rather than asked.

"Yes. We're in love, and Renée is wrong about him. He's a good man," I implored.

"Yet you felt the need to hide Edward from us. That isn't like you," Phil pointed out.

"I knew how Renée would've reacted. The Cullens are good people, they only tried to help us years ago, but she continues to let either her pride or jealousy consume her," I explained.

"I think you should sit down and talk with your mother about this," Phil said seriously.

"And I will, just not now." I crossed my arms in front of me.

"Knock, knock. Your chauffeur has arrived." Emmett entered the room.

Leah was behind him with a wheelchair. I grimaced when I realized I wasn't going to be allowed to walk out of here. Phil stood looking out of place. I felt a small amount of guilt that I had been at odds with him, but not enough to change my mind.

"I guess I'll be heading into the office. Call me if you need anything." Phil smiled half-heartedly and left before I could introduce him to Em.

"Everything okay?" Emmett glanced at the door as it closed behind Phil.

"Super-duper. Let's blow this pop stand." I forced a bright smile.

 **MoU**

After dinner, I decided to relax in Edward's room. I enjoyed hanging out with the guys, but I was bored of watching TV all day and need some time to myself.

Edward had called before dinner to see how I was doing. Surprisingly, most of the families he worked for were understanding about everything that had happened. A few asked him to come by today even though they weren't on his schedule, to make up for the day before. I had reassured him that I was fine, and that he should catch up if he was able to.

There was only one house that dismissed him—I can't say I was that surprised, either. I'm sure Irina would have a ton to say on the subject next time I saw her.

That is if I saw her again.

Edward came into the room looking worse for wear, with dark circles under his eyes and a sweaty mess.

"You've stolen my bed now?" He smiled tiredly.

"I can move out to the couch if you'd like. It was quiet in here, and I'm sick of sitcoms and movies." I sat up, but he gestured for me to stay.

"It's nice to come home to a pretty girl in my bed." He pulled his shirt off and tossed it in his hamper. "I'm going to take a shower then I'll join you."

"Have you eaten? I could go heat you up leftover Chinese or make you a sandwich," I offered.

"You should be staying in bed." Edward refused me.

"The doctor didn't say I had to. Besides, I was about to get up to get something to eat so I can take my medicine." I stood and stretched, I did my best to hide my grimace from my sore muscles.

"Some of the Chinese will be great, thank you." Edward pecked my cheek. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better. I'm sorry I couldn't be here today."

"Don't worry, I understand. I missed you." I kissed him.

He returned the kiss but was careful to hold me at a distance. He broke away first then placed one more on my lips.

"I'll be quick," he promised.

After a fast trip to the kitchen, I left Edward's dinner on his desk and then settled back under the covers to continue reading. A moment later, the bathroom door opened, and I could see the small droplets of water on his hair and chest. I kept my eyes on the page so I wasn't openly ogling him.

"I didn't take you for the type that would read Spiderman comics." Edward sat down at his desk then took a large bite out of an egg roll.

"I'm not, but I was bored and looking for something to read. It was either comic books or your textbooks. You seriously have to expand your reading material," I complained.

He grinned sheepishly. "I bet Jasper can bring you something back from the campus library if you tell him what you would like."

"Maybe, or I can go back to the house…"

"You're leaving? Why would you go back there?" He sounded irritated.

"If you let me finish ... I just need to collect some of my things, such as clothes for one," I explained.

"You don't need clothes—you could go without, I wouldn't mind." He gave me a cheeky smile and winked.

"I'm sure Jasper and Emmett wouldn't mind either." I smirked when his smile fell.

"Clothes would be good."

"I do have to go back at some other point and talk with Renée." I sighed.

"You don't have to talk to her about anything. It wasn't fair for Phil to make you feel guilty." Edward scowled.

I had told him about our conversation earlier, and he was annoyed by the way Phil talked to me. I nodded and looked down at his comforter, and traced the pattern with my fingers. Truthfully, I didn't really want to deal with my mother anytime soon. Not unless she was ready to accept that Edward was in my life—that all of the Cullens were.

"Hey, I wasn't trying to upset you. I just want you to be happy." Edward sat next to me on the bed.

"You didn't. I'm just tired, although you look more tired than me. Should we turn in early again? This time, there's no nurse to come in every few minutes to make sure we're not sharing a bed."

"I'm more than ready. Just give me a moment to take care of my dishes and brush my teeth. I promise tomorrow night I'll be back earlier and be better company." Edward yawned.

 **MoU**

The rest of the week passed quickly, and I was feeling better each day. As much as I loved seeing the others, at times, I felt as though they were babysitting rather than visiting. Especially, on Friday when Rose was called into work. It took about an hour to convince Edward that I would be fine on my own.

By mid-afternoon, I was stir-crazy and decided this was the best time as any to get some of my things from home. I had talked to Phil every day and knew that Renée had gone to the club for the day. Plus, Edward should be there late afternoon.

I found the number for the cab company and asked if James could come to pick me up. I waited outside since it was a beautiful day. James arrived about fifteen minutes later.

"What happened to you?" He eyed my bandaged head as I buckled up in the back.

"I fell into our pool and hit my head on the diving board." I only gave him a watered- down version of the story.

"Ouch, you should be more careful," he admonished.

The drive was short, and when we got to the house, James refused my offer to pay him. He said it was his way of repaying me for the meal I had given him. I walked up the steps and checked the door knob to see if it was unlocked, then rang the bell. Mrs. Cope appeared a moment later and beamed when she saw me.

"I have been so worried about you. How is your head?" She gave me a small hug.

"Better, thank you. I just stopped by to pick up some of my things. My mother is still out, right?" I asked.

"Yes, in fact, she's planning on dinner at the club again tonight so she won't be back for awhile. You caught me as I was about to leave. Do you need me to fix you anything, dear," she asked.

"I'm fine, thank you. You don't have to wait around for me, enjoy the rest of your day," I encouraged.

"I will, dear. Take care of yourself, no more tripping into the pool." She gave me a warm smile before disappearing.

"That's ?" I muttered out loud.

I headed up the stairs and started down the hall. I paused outside of Renée and Phil's room and remembered about her safe. Luckily, although my phone was destroyed, Jasper had a good memory and had written down the combination for me the other day.

I entered the room then went over to the couch and knelt down. I pulled the small paper out of my pocket and punched in the combination. I held my breath expecting it to say denied, but I grinned when it unlocked.

"Sweet."

The inside was filled with jewelry and documents.

I had hit the jackpot.

I picked up a stack of papers and settled crossed legged on the floor to leaf through them. One piece slid out from the rest and made me stretch to retrieve it. I scanned it first and discovered it was Renée's birth certificate.

I almost placed it down before the date caught my eye. Very strange … I could've sworn she was born in 1977, not 1979. This means she would've been only sixteen when she had me. She was also from some place called Forks, Washington, not California. I set it aside and looked at the next sheet.

Right on top of the pile was my birth certificate. I skimmed it and noticed that 1977 was listed as Renee's birthdate. Charles, my father, was noted as 1976. That meant he was twenty when my mother was only sixteen. Perhaps they lied about her age to hide the fact she would've been underage.

At least, I knew the Charles Swan I was looking for was from Washington State. That should help Jasper track down a new number.

A feeling of dread washed over me as I regarded at the next document. I looked at it uneasily, something didn't sit right.

Oh My God… this couldn't be. Why would she have this?

My stomach twisted into a huge knot, and I thought I would be sick.

 **A/N:**

 **Another evil cliffy, I'm sorry. On the bright** **side,** **you should get most of the answers you have been** **looking for next chapter. In the meantime, what do you think she found?**

 **Thank you for all the love and reviews you have given my story!**


	19. Chapter 18

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 18**

I was moving my paperwork to the side to take with me when the words 'Certificate of Death' caught my attention. Charles Swan's name swam before my eyes.

My father was dead, and I would never know him. Tears whirled before my eyes as I read it with a heavy heart. He had died in a car accident when I was fourteen, and I was never told. I placed it with my birth certificate.

A feeling of dread washed over me as I regarded at the next document—'Last Will and Testament of Charles Swan.' I looked at it uneasily, something didn't feel right.

Why would Renée have this document? It didn't make sense for her to have paperwork of this nature for a man she hadn't see for years.

I read through it and discovered that in the event of his death, I was to receive everything. Marie Swan, his mother, and my grandmother, was named trustee until I was eighteen. My stomach twisted into a huge knot, and I thought I might be sick.

I began to wonder where this Marie person was. I should have received my inheritance two years go.

Feeling nervous but curious I decided to go through the rest of the documents on my lap.

"Oh my God!" I gasped at the second death certificate.

Marie had died in a fire right before my sixteenth birthday.

Renée could be a huge bitch, but she wouldn't kill someone for money…would she?

But the dates were just too close to ignore.

I flipped through the rest of the papers so fast that I gave myself a paper cut. I stuck my finger in my mouth as I found my name on the deed to the house along with Renée's and a will…for me. One I knew I didn't make, which left everything to Renée in the event of my death.

Tears stung my eyes, and my heart started to race.

Edward was right, I was being targeted, and all signs pointed to my mother. It felt so surreal, and I had a hard time believing my own mother wanted me dead.

I made sure all documents with mine or Charlie's name on them were in a pile before placing the rest back in the safe I then the grabbed the passports, knowing one had to be mine. Confusion overtook me, since there were three, and I knew I saw Phil's downstairs in the safe in his office.

The first one I opened had my name on it but Renée's picture. A driver's license for the state of Washington was also enclosed.

What the fuck?

Had she pretended to be me?

I tossed it into my pile and then quickly found my real one and put that with the other. I made sure the cushions looked straightened, and I had everything I needed before I hurried to my room. I knew I didn't have time to pack everything, so I was just going to take the necessities. I should be long gone from the house before Renée gets back, but I didn't want to take any chances and decided it was best if I got out of here as soon as possible.

I ripped open my closet door and dug in the back for an old duffle bag. I pulled a few of the dresses I liked and tossed them inside. In my haste, I knocked my old photo album out of its hiding place, and it ended up on the floor. As I bent to pick it up, I gasped …

How the hell did I forget about him?

His name was Lawerence…no…Laurent.

He was a creepy old boyfriend of Renee. He was the sole reason I started locking the bathroom and bedroom door. I was about fourteen…fifteen the most when I last saw him.

But now I was sure about one thing … He was the man that had attacked me … and he was most likely in on it with Renee.

No longer feeling safe in the house a minute longer, I tossed some undergarments and other random clothes into the bag, making sure to cover the papers for safe keeping. I fled down the stairs as fast as I could without tripping and dashed into the garage.

My hand froze on the door handle of my car.

I couldn't trust it.

If Laurent messed with it one time, there was no saying he didn't get to it again. I let go as if the handle was on fire.

I exited the garage and ran down the driveway. I had to get to Edward. I felt safer with him around. He would know what I should do next—if I should call a lawyer or the police—most likely both.

As I reached the street, a loud roar caught my attention. I looked up to see Edward on his motorcycle, idling a few feet from me. I locked eyes with him, and he looked concerned and a bit upset to see me.

"Bella, what on earth are you doing here alone? And why do you look as if someone is chasing you?" He glanced back at the house.

"We've to get out of here…I'll explain later, but we need to leave...I've got to show you something," I said all this as I hurried over to his bike.

He wordlessly took the bag from me and handed me the other helmet. I snapped it on and ignored the small throb of pain when I brushed my bandage too roughly.

As soon as my arms were wrapped around his waist, he took off down the street. Edward drove us to the old mill and parked under the shade of some trees. He helped me from the bike and removed the helmet gently from my head.

 **MoU**

"Want to tell me what is going on?" He placed it down on the seat.

"I found something…something big. I'll show you, but we should get away from the road." I dug through my back and pulled out the album and the stack of papers.

"Let's go down the path, there's an old picnic table, and we should be hidden from the road." He only hesitated for a moment before leading the way.

In my hurry, I tripped over a tree root, but Edward quickly caught me before I could crash to the ground.

"We don't need another trip to the hospital. Please be careful." He kept his arm around my waist.

"Sorry. I'm just so flustered, and I'm barely even thinking straight," I apologized as we reached the bottom.

I went straight to the table and put down my bag. I riffled through the papers and pulled out the first two documents.

"I got into Renée's safe while I was in the house. My father is dead."

He took the documents from my hand and sat down on the bench as he skimmed them. "I know, and I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

"What do you mean… _you know_?" I narrowed my eyes when he didn't seem surprised.

"Well…highly suspected. Jasper found out that the Charles Swan from Washington State had died six years ago," he admitted.

"When? Why didn't you tell me?" I flopped onto the bench.

"He told me while I was in jail, and you were still unconscious. We were waiting until you felt better before we said anything. I didn't want to upset you," he explained, pleading with his eyes not to be mad.

I was holding in my anger until I found out I knew how much he had kept from me. "Did you know about this too?"

Edward took the Will, and his eyes widened into huge saucers as he scanned it. "No, I knew nothing about this. Shit…we should find this Marie and—"

I handed him Marie's death certificate. He took a long glance at the sheet before taking it from me to read. His eyes shot back up to mine, and he took in a sharp breath.

"Bella…I know you going to hate me for saying this but—," he hesitated.

"My mother stole my inheritance and is trying to kill me?" Tears filled my eyes. "I kind of already figured that out, you're just confirming it."

He frowned and scooted closer and wrapped his arms around me tightly. I buried my face in his chest and quietly cried as he rocked me.

"I had a theory, but I wanted to be wrong because I knew how much it would hurt you. I thought I was off the mark when the dates of her receiving the inheritance and Charlie's death weren't close. I'm so sorry, love." He smoothed my hair and rubbed my back.

"I just can't believe it's all true; it's staring me in the face, but it seems so surreal. Look at it all…fake IDs, with her picture but my name…my Will that I didn't make…the house deed in both our names...insurance policies." I gestured at all the papers.

"That's not all." I pulled out of his arms so I could get the album.

I flipped it opened and stabbed at the picture. Edward's eyes narrowed as he pulled it closer to him. He glared down at my attacker.

"His name is Laurent. I vaguely remember now that Renée dated him when I was about fourteen. He was a creep, and purposely used to try to walk into the bathroom when I was taking a shower." I scowled.

"The guy is a dead man. Why do you have a picture of him?" Edward slapped it closed and pushed it away.

"Your mother used to fill this for me. I don't even remember posing for that one with him and Renée."I shrugged.

Edward seemed to be thinking hard. "I must have seen him at some point too."

"You were gone that summer at camp; it was the last year you and Emmett went. I think…that might have been a cookout or something for Alice's dance team." I tried to recall.

"Have you contacted Officer Garrett yet?" Edward started to look through everything else.

"No. I wasn't sure if I should get a lawyer first or go straight to the police. I started to leave with my car, then realized that since Laurent was at the house, it may have been tampered with again. I was heading for you," I answered.

"I wish you would've waited for someone to be with you," he confessed. He didn't look mad, but he was clearly unhappy about the fact that I had gone alone.

"I thought the middle of the day with Renée and Phil gone that it would be safe with just Mrs. Cope there. I knew you'd be in the area this afternoon too," I explained.

"Please promise me you won't go anywhere without me, Jasper or Emmett until they capture Laurent and Renée," he pleaded.

"Don't you think that's an overreaction? I have commitments like the rec and then school soon." I frowned.

"I don't think it's an overreaction if they start to get desperate. What if they showed up at the rec with all the kids around," he pointed out.

I frowned as I took that into consideration. "What about you guys, what would stop them from hurting any of you? Maybe I should just disappear before anyone gets hurt." I wondered out loud.

It will kill me if something happened to Edward and it was my fault. I didn't want anyone else risking their life for me.

"Emmett was an all-state wrestler and one of the best offensive tackles in high school football for a reason. Jasper can protect himself and you because he owns a gun. And I already took care of Laurent once, he's not stronger than me."

His reasons did little to comfort me.

"Unless he has a gun. You're not indestructible you know." I grew even more worried.

"I do know. Which is why we are going to get a lawyer then meet with the police as soon as possible. Although, this may go beyond them, and may be turned over to the FBI. There's enough evidence here to get her for fraud, identity theft and inheritance theft to say the very least." He restacked all the papers.

"What about attempted murder?" I asked.

"That may be more difficult to prove, because we're going on speculation. However, it may open the cases of Charles Swan and Marie Swan's deaths. Let's go. I don't think my family lawyer can handle such a big case. I think we should go see Aro Hunter." He stood from the table then extended a hand to me.

"Heidi's dad? How will I be able to afford him?" I asked concerned.

"He's a decent man. And I bet he'll take this case in a heartbeat—he loves to be on the winning side. He may be willing to work out a deal to be paid once it's over." He smiled encouragingly as he guided me up the path.

"You seem very confident about all this going our way." I was starting to feel more hopeful.

"I am. There is no doubt in my mind your mother will be going to jail." He paused and looked at me thoughtfully.

"Renée has made it clear she is no mother," I grumbled as I climbed back onto the bike.

Just before he started the engine, I placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned to face me with a quizzical look.

"What about Phil? We should warn him." I chewed on my lip.

"I think you'll have to prepare yourself that Phil may get arrested as well," he warned cautiously.

"But Phil would never try to kill me. If anything he's been used by Renée too." I shook my head in refusal.

"That may be true; however, he did invest your money in Renée's name. Whether he knows it was yours or not, he could be charged as well." He brushed my cheek softly with his fingertips.

"That hardly seems fair." I sighed.

"I know, I wish I could tell you something different." He kissed my forehead.

He jumpstarted the bike, and we took off towards Aro's office. I knew once I stepped through his doors my life would be forever be altered—hopefully for the better.

 **A/N:  
Well…you now have a bunch of answers or at least some very big clues. A lot of you were very close if not on the money. **

**Thank you for all the love and reviews you have given my story.**


	20. Chapter 19

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 19**

We exited Aro's office in the early evening light. Edward had been right about him taking the case. In fact, his excitement rivaled a kid receiving the keys to their own candy shop. He assured me that my mother would not only be convicted by the evidence I presented to him but that she would most likely be put away for a very long time.

He made a few calls and first thing Monday morning we were going to meet with the FBI and the police. From there, charges would be filed, and a warrant for Renée's arrest would be issued.

There was a downside; this whole process could be lengthy. Until she was sentenced, the accounts would most likely be frozen—meaning I would once again be penniless. I never spent much in the first place, but I was a bit upset that I would have to leave school after this semester until the trial was over.

We stopped at a small sandwich shop on the way home. I sat quietly across the booth from Edward, picking at my food. He tried to make small talk, but I had a hard time concentrating.

I was so deep in thought that he startled me when he slid into the booth next to me. He brushed my hair over my shoulder and kissed the side of my temple. I leaned into his side to rest my head on his shoulder.

"I wish you'd tell me what you're thinking," he murmured.

"I'm just trying to figure out what I need to do next. I have to find a job to pay for somewhere to live and for college. Hopefully, Renée will no longer have the means to blacklist me, or else I'm screwed." I took a sip of my soda.

"You can stay with me. I'm not about to kick you out with no place to go," he promised.

"It still wouldn't be fair to you or Jasper if I don't pay for a portion of the rent," I pointed out.

"Don't stress over it. Jasper owns the apartment, and instead of paying rent I take care of eighty percent of the utilities. Once you get a job, you can split that cost with me. Alice is over there more than at home, and she pays nothing," he explained.

"Okay." I relaxed a little.

We went back to the apartment, and I was surprised to see everyone waiting for us. Esme pulled me into a hug right away then led me to the couch. She sat next to me and held my hand. She and Carlisle had frequently visited over the past few days and each time they came, it was with a few casseroles or desserts.

"We want to know everything. Edward only told us you needed to see a lawyer for advice about Renée. What has she done now?" Esme looked angry.

I had taken a deep breath before I explained everything in detail. By the end, every face in the room was filled with anger, but yet they were all supportive. Esme looked positively livid and was shaking with rage.

"That vile bitch!" She turned to Carlisle. "I told you years ago that we should've contacted child services on that woman."

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes, dear. But I also remember saying that we saw neglect, but there were no signs of physical abuse; it would've been hard to prove in court. Renée could've still remained in custody, and would've taken Bella from us that much sooner."

"Hmph. Then we should've kidnapped her and left the country." Esme scowled.

"Yeah, that wouldn't have gotten you in any trouble." Emmett snickered then froze when Esme glared at him. He shrank down in his seat and gave her an apologetic look.

"The boy, though tactless, has a point," Carlisle stated calmly. "We can only focus on what we can do now, rather what we should've done."

"Of course, we will be there whenever you need us to help. Hopefully, it will be a quick trial so you can go back to your life." Esme patted my hand.

"Edward is right too. Until they arrest Renée and Laurent, you shouldn't go anywhere by yourself. This place should be safe since there's security at the front door," Jasper spoke up.

"I'll need to find a job, one that Renée can't prevent me from getting." I was wondering how that will work.

"The flower shop is looking for someone." Esme brightened.

"I have no idea how to make arrangements." I hesitated.

"You wouldn't have to worry about that. We need someone to answer phones and work the cash register. It would be part time, and we can work around your class schedule." Esme waved off my concern. "Just let them try to stop you there, they'll find out what I can do with a pair of garden sheers."

"I have a suggestion as well. You can take classes with the Red Cross and get certified to teach swimming or even lifeguard. There are some indoor pools in the area that have public swim times, and they offer lessons, even during the cold months. Esme and I can loan you the money for it if you need help," Carlisle offered.

"I'll look into both." I smiled.

"Come into the flower shop on Tuesday, and you can meet Sasha," Esme told me.

 **MoU**

Wednesday, I was on pins and needles waiting to hear that Renée had been arrested. The meeting with the police and FBI went as well as expected. Edward and I decided against warning Phil what was coming. I knew he was a good man, but he was also head over heels in love with my mother. I didn't trust him not to warn her or even defend her.

I was driving Edward nuts when I would jump every time the phone rang. He finally insisted that we leave our phones in the bedroom as we watched a movie with Jasper and Alice. Halfway through, Jasper's phone rang with an alert. He grabbed the remote and turned to the news.

"Hey, I was watching that." Alice pouted.

"You're going to want to see this even more." Jasper grinned. "They got Renée and Laurent about an hour ago."

I had daydreamed about her being arrested in the middle of the country club during cocktail hour. Something highly embarrassing that would knock her off her self-made pedestal.

However, I didn't expect what I saw on the screen. Renée was being led, kicking and screaming from a room in a rundown motel, two towns away. She was dressed in only a sheet; behind her was Laurent, who was stark-naked and handcuffed. I shivered and cuddled into Edward's side. I guess it was safe to say that they were in on this together, and Laurent wasn't some jealous ex.

"Ewww…couldn't they let them get dressed, or, at least, give him a towel or something?" Alice wrinkled her nose.

"Be grateful, there's enough lag time that they can blur it out." Jasper smirked.

"Double ewww," Alice complained. "I'm going to go make a smoothie." She got up from the chair.

"Remember the lid," Edward and Jasper said in unison.

"I only did that once," Alice hollered.

"Jasper, turn it up, please," I asked.

The newscasters didn't have too much information for the public. They identified them both and mentioned that there were warrants out for their arrests. Laurent for an attack on a young female who they didn't name—I was grateful for that. They claimed Renée was wanted by the FBI for undisclosed reasons.

"You, okay," Edward whispered in my ear.

"Yeah, I am. Let's get back to the movie." I was done with seeing and hearing about Renée, and I felt reassured that they were both off the streets.

 **MoU**

A week later, I was sitting on the Hunter's patio with Heidi by my side. She was tapping away at her phone, as I watched Edward clean the pool. School was going to start in about a week, and I would also begin working at the flower shop for a few hours each weekday and all day Saturday. I knew our time together would soon be short.

"No Irina?" I asked casually. By some stroke of luck, I hadn't seen her since the anniversary party.

"No, didn't you hear?" She put down her phone. "Daddy caught my mother in a precarious position with Irina's father and Austin at the anniversary party. Daddy has kicked Mother out and wants a divorce. Irina is too angry and embarrassed to show her face."

"I didn't know. I've had a lot going on since that night." I wasn't too surprised, to hear it about it, though.

"Oh, my God. That's right. That must have been so scary. Thank goodness you're all right. I saw your mom and her lover on the news the other night. And I thought my mother was horrible," Heidi exclaimed.

Edward cleared his throat loudly but kept his mouth shut. Heidi glanced at him curiously then back at me. I touched my neck self-consciously; the bruises had faded, but I still remembered vividly what Laurent's hands felt like wrapped around my neck.

She gave me an apologetic look. "Sorry, I got carried away. I'm sure Daddy will make sure she doesn't get away with a thing." Heidi smiled encouragingly.

"Your father has been great. I'm grateful, he's agreed to help." I nodded.

"So, you and the pool boy…it's true then." Heidi wiggled her eyebrows.

"His name is Edward." I huffed.

Heidi giggled. "I know—I think it's cute how you defend him. But it's also a dead giveaway, just so you know."

"Kind of like being attached to your cell phone?" I retorted with a smirk.

Heidi blushed lightly and glanced at her phone out of the corner of her eye.

"Don't worry, I still won't say anything to anyone. However, I will say I've learned from experience that hiding things can blow up in your face. Why can't you tell your parents?" I asked cautiously.

Heidi pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on them. "Mother hates Demetri. She thinks he's beneath me. She tried to set me up with Austin, too; but even if I weren't already in love with someone else, it would have worked. Daddy seemed to like Demi, they sometimes got into long conversations when he was here."

"Maybe you should tell your father. It would be better than to run around in secret all the time," I suggested.

"Maybe," she answered wistfully.

 **MoU**

By the time we got back to the apartment that night we were both hot and sweaty.

"Do you want to jump into the shower first. I can heat up one of the casseroles," I suggested.

"I have a better idea. Jasper and Alice went overnight to Boston and won't be back until late tomorrow morning. Why don't we conserve water and take a shower together?" He pulled me close and nuzzled my neck.

"Naked?" I blushed.

"Well, I would assume so, unless we're trying to do laundry at the same time." He laughed. "But if it makes you uncomfortable, you can go first."

I paused briefly. We had grown increasingly intimate, but we hadn't taken that final step yet. It wasn't that I didn't want to as much as it was obvious that I had no idea what I was doing. I was worried I would let Edward down and embarrass myself at the same time.

I decided to throw caution to the wind as I took his hand and led him to the bathroom. Edward had tossed off his shirt along the way. He spun me around to face him and unzipped my dress. I shrugged out of it letting it pool around my feet.

We continued to undress each other silently before stepping into the warm spray of the water. He grabbed the shampoo and gently began to lather my hair being extra careful around the wounded area.

In turn, I poured shower gel into my hands then washed his body slowly, feeling his taut muscles under my palms. He made an animalistic noise as my fingers rubbed his abs. I stared deep into his hooded eyes as I brushed against his erection, which twitched under my touch as it seemed to grow impossibly harder and longer.

I was pushed up against the wall, as his body aligned with mine. He kissed along the curve of my neck to my jawline before continuing to kiss me heatedly. His length pressed against my torso, and I moaned as he lightly squeezed my breasts while his tongue played along with mine.

"Shall we move this to the bed?" he asked breathlessly.

I nodded, unable to speak at the moment. We hurriedly stepped out of the shower and dried each other, pausing to exchange passionate kisses and heated words of want. He then swept me off my feet and carried me to his room.

After laying me down, Edward grabbed a condom from his nightstand before joining me. He hovered over me taking his time to worship my body with his lips. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. He caught my gaze and silently asked for permission before he slowly entered me. My breath hitched, and my hips bucked in response. Everything seemed so natural; being with Edward seemed so right.

He stilled for a moment reassuring me that I was perfect for him. His words encouraged me onward, and I became comfortable with him buried deep inside me. I began to relax as our bodies started to move together … slow and rhythmically. As our desire increased, I felt an indescribable feeling coming to life in my belly. Before I knew what was happening, my toes curled, and it felt as if my body might explode. I called out his name fervently.

He followed behind me, chanting my name as well. After a few moments, he collapsed, being careful not to put any weight on top of me. He rolled us over and held me close to him. Our chests heaved as we tried to catch our breaths.

"I love you so much." He kissed me tenderly.

"I love you, too," I echoed.

 **A/N:**

 **I am sure you'll be relieved that they have been caught. Nice and embarrassing for Renée too. Next chapter, is in Renée's POV so if there are any questions left they should be taken care of then.**

 **Thank you for all the love and reviews you have given my story.**


	21. Chapter 20

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 20**

 **Renée's POV**

Someone was going to pay.

I stood in the center of the small cell, refusing to sit on the pitiful board that they dare call a mattress. It was covered in nasty brown stains and smelled as if someone had recently shit on it.

It was bad enough that I was forced into this horrible orange jumpsuit. The cheap material was rough on my delicate skin and giving me a rash. As soon as I was out of here, I was taking a well-deserved week at the spa for some pampering.

I knew why Laurent had been arrested, but I wasn't certain as to why I was. If it were simply because I was with the man that attacked Isabella, then I would be out of here shortly. I could easily say he was blackmailing me or he would kill the brat.

Unless the little pig squealed that I put him up to it.

He had lived out his use to me anyway, and I was getting tired of the fool. He couldn't even complete a simple task that was laid out for him. Instead, he failed me three times; in addition, the third time he was caught by that snotnose pissant, Edward. The irony was that Laurent was to plant the necklace Isabella had been wearing somewhere so that Edward would be implicated in her death.

He had failed me one, too many times.

At least he would rot in jail for awhile and be out of my hair. Against my better judgment, I had met with him. He had been whining that he had to hide out in that revolting motel, and demanded that I was to bring him money to escape to Mexico, or he'd turn me in—so he had to be silenced.

It would be my word against his anyway—and I would triumph. I had the money and the social standing while he had nothing. He was nobody before he met me, and he'll go back to being one with a snap of my fingers.

I had been very careful, patient and smart about every move I made. I learned long ago from my mistakes and have worked too hard for this. That money belonged to me, and I would be damned if I let my little, Bambi-eyed offspring have a penny of it.

I met the idiot, Charles Swan, or Charlie when I was sixteen, and I knew a good opportunity when I saw it. My parents could barely feed and clothe me because they were drinking themselves into an early grave. Charlie was the shy, sweet, yet not too bright boy from the richest family in the state. His grandfather had invented some device for boats or was it subs? Whatever it was, it had made him a very wealthy man.

Charles was the sole heir and was my ticket out of that town. He was easy to seduce, and like the good boy I knew him to be, he offered to marry me once I was pregnant.

Everything was working out perfectly until his nosey bitch of a mother, Marie, butted in. She threw a fit and claimed that I had purposely gotten pregnant and didn't even believe the baby was his.

All it took from me was a few tears, and we moved to Arizona to be away from his mother's reach. However, I was unaware that he didn't have access to his trust fund until he was twenty-five. So he got a job…of all things, a police officer. It paid poorly, but it had its advantages of putting him in the line of fire quite often. As long as he could keep himself alive until we were married, I was golden.

And I do look good in gold.

Marie struck again, when somehow, she discovered that I was only sixteen, and convinced Charlie not to marry me because I had tricked him. And he believed her! And this was after I had given in and allowed Charlie to use Marie as part of our child's name … trying to appease the stuck up bitch.

Of all the nerve.

Perhaps, my second mistake was when I jumped the gun and threatened to press charges of underage rape a bit too soon. But in the end, I worked out a deal with Charlie where he was to pay me a generous, child support allotment and, as even further revenge, Isabella remained in my soul custody without visitation. I even got him to agree that Isabella would get her fair share of a trust fund at age eighteen—for _college opportunities_ , of course.

I grew impatient, but I knew I had to wait if I wanted to achieve my ultimate goal. I knew that bitch couldn't live forever, and Charlie was still a police officer, so I figured it was just a matter of time.

However, I didn't count on Charlie moving back to Forks; the most boring, law-abiding town in the U.S. After enough time had gone by, Charlie's demise needed a helpful push. That was when I met Laurent, who soon became all too willing to help my cause. The one thing…let's say the second thing Laurent was good for was his shadiness and his knowledge of all things concerning automobiles. Within a week of his visit to the Northwest, Charlie had died in a car accident.

My last mistake was not counting on Charlie lack of trust in me. However, I could only assume that it was the bitch's doing. He did leave everything to Isabella, but she wouldn't get a penny until her eighteenth birthday. The kicker was his mother was the trustee and that penny-pinching bitch fought me over every dime. She even had the nerve to stop child support payments.

She had me investigated and found out that I spent most of that money on myself. Claimed I was neglecting my own daughter and that Esme, _Donna Reed_ incarnated, Cullen was a better mother to Isabella. She threatened that if I didn't shape up, she would take Isabella away from me.

I cleaned up my act for awhile, and Laurent faded into the shadows. I knew that Marie couldn't die suspiciously too close to Charlie or fingers could be pointed at me. However, it also had to be done before Isabella's eighteenth birthday. So I waited and seized the opportunity the weekend of Isabella sixteenth birthday when I knew that perfect little Esme would be all to happy to keep my daughter busy. I bought two tickets for the Bahamas, but at my layover, I never got on the second plane. Instead, I drove to Washington State, and with a small propane leak and one single match the old house lit up like a blaze in the night sky while the bitch was asleep.

Since there was no other trustee named, I became the one in charge of not just Charlie's, but also Marie's estate until Isabella was of age. The money rolled in, and we moved on up to a better life. I soon met Philip, and he was putty in my hands from the start. I planned on keeping him around for a while longer since he was still making me more money faster than I could spend it. Once Bella turned eighteen, it was surprisingly easy what a little cash under the table and fake I.D.s could do—and no one was the wiser.

I made sure Isabella lost contact with the Cullens, or so I had thought. The last thing I needed was Carlisle or Esme sniffing around for anything suspicious. Edward was a bright one, and I knew that he was in love with my daughter and was always looking out for her, so he was a threat. I had to break that connection—since Isabella was a good obedient girl, I knew she would listen to me.

That was until this summer.

I never should have given him that job. No matter how good it felt to have a Cullen work for me. He somehow weaseled his way back into my daughter's life.

Isabella had lived out her usefulness and had to die soon. It was getting difficult for me to pass as a twenty-year-old, no matter how many beauty treatments I had. I had been tempted to try to marry her off to that Austin St. Marks, then kill them both to gain even possibly more wealth.

But things didn't work out as planned.

Once again, I blamed that Cullen boy.

I caught sight of an officer outside of my door. "Hey!" I banged on the bars and instantly regretted it. They probably hadn't been washed since the place was built.

He paused and leveled me with a cold stare. "Yes?" he replied curtly.

How dare he speak to me with such a lack of respect. I would have his job as soon as I was out of here.

"I demand a new mattress, that one is stained, and these floors are sticky, they must be washed. I also need to use the ladies room. While I'm in there, this place can be cleaned," I mandated.

He smirked then started to laugh. "This isn't the Ritz. Your bathroom is in there with you. If you used the sheets that you threw on the floor, they would cover the stains. If you want your floor washed, I can get you a bucket of soapy water and a brush, and you can clean it yourself."

"Do you even know who I am? I will not tolerate being treated like this," I hissed.

"I know perfectly well who you are? Do you even remember me?" he challenged.

I glanced at the name tag; Black, and it didn't seem familiar. "I'm an innocent woman, and I insist that I be released."

He held up a finger then called out. "Who here is innocent?"

"I am!" several voices chorused.

"I can be for a price, extra for naughty, Jakey," a voice from one cell over answered.

"Not interested, Jane." He shook his head. "Anything else?" He glanced at me.

"I demand to know what I'm being charged with." I narrowed my eyes.

"Formal charges will be read at your arraignment by the D.A. assigned to your case. You've already refused to speak with the designated officer here without a lawyer." He looked bored.

"Where are my husband and my lawyer, they should be here by now?"

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"Then let me out so I can call him again," I yelled, losing patience.

"I'll have to check with my boss. You've already used the phone more than your fair share today." He walked away.

The prick.

Where the fucking hell was Philip?

His lazy ass should have arrived by now with a lawyer. Hopefully, he was smart enough to get William, like I told him, or he would have some answering to do if he didn't. It was bad enough that it took forever to get hold of him.

Officer Black came back a moment later. "You're in luck, your husband is here."

"Finally. It took him long enough. Hurry up." I tried to fix my hair the best I could.

"First, I have a lovely accessory to go with your outfit." He dangled a pair of handcuffs.

"I am not putting those on." I crossed my arms in front of my chest.

"Then you're not leaving the cell. Rules are rules." He raised an eyebrow.

"Fine, but the police commissioner will hear about this." I extended my arms.

"I don't doubt that." He snickered not looking bothered at all as he snapped the horrid metal things on my wrists.

He led me down the hallway and into a stark, white, harshly lit room containing a folding table and a few metal chairs. On one wall was a filthy mirror. I paused a moment to check my appearance and frowned. I looked ghastly! How was I suppose to charm Philp and William looking like this? I will have to try the 'pity me' card, and since Philip was a sucker, it shouldn't be too hard.

"Take a seat and wait here," Officer Black ordered before leaving the room, locking it behind him.

I took the seat with a huff; at least it looked clean. A moment later, the door was opened, and Philp entered. He walked slowly over and took a seat without looking up at me.

Well, this won't do at all. My anger started to boil over the fact that he had left me here to fend for myself.

"Philip, I've been here all day. Why didn't you come here immediately to help me? We are going to talk about this at home," I snapped angrily at him.

"Bail hasn't been set yet, so I'm afraid you'll be here for awhile longer," Philip stated with a lack of emotion.

"What is wrong with you? You could at least show some concern that your wife has been unjustly arrested." I glared at him.

He finally lifted his eyes and stared at me coldly. "Was it unjust? You may be thrilled to know that you were headline news last night and first thing this morning. They have an excellent shot of you and Laurent leaving the hotel."

"How could you assume the worst? That man was blackmailing me. I was only trying to protect my daughter." I teared up, but they seemed to have no effect.

What was wrong with him?

It was like he was prepared for the reaction as he sat there looking back at me with a frown on his face. He glanced away at the mirror then back at me.

"Speaking of Bella, she paid me a visit first thing this morning as I was contemplating how to help you. She informed me of some extremely essential things I may have been missing." His eyes narrowed.

"What could she possibly have told you to treat me like this. I did everything for that girl, and you saw how she repaid me. I only asked her for one thing, and she behaves like a spoiled brat for not getting her way," I complained.

"Renée, you've lied to me. You told me that it was _your_ inheritance. But it was Bella's; she owns everything. Do you even realize how much trouble you're in? You have forged her signature, pretended to be her, and took control of her money as if it was yours. To make matters worse—I'm involved in this mess. All those investments I made with her money under your name can send me to jail too." Philip was now yelling.

"Will you be quiet before someone hears you? How can you even accuse me of this?" I hissed under my breath.

"Bella found everything when getting her birth certificate from the safe. The death certificates, wills, fake I.D.s; need I go on," Philip answered; he shook his head and looked at me with disgust.

I tried to keep my composure as I froze inside. That little bitch. How dare she snoop through my things. All my plans were now in a precarious position, but I refuse to go down. I carefully calculated my next step.

"Everything will work out. Isabella has never cared for money or material things, so she wouldn't even want her inheritance. I am the one who deserves it anyway. I'm the one that had to raise that little brat. I only got myself knocked up by her father because how well off his family was. But his mother never liked me and saw right through my charade. She wouldn't give him a cent while he was with me. So I refused to marry him and made him pay through the nose for child support. He tried to take her from me, but I wasn't going to lose my cash cow. Luckily for me, courts rule in the mother's favor," I argued.

"I thought Charlie didn't want her." Philip sounded even more upset.

"He's the only one that did," I scoffed.

"How can you say that about your own daughter? Don't you even love her?" he asked incredulously, sitting back roughly against the seat.

"Who can love a pebble in their shoe," I replied honestly.

"You're unbelievable. How could I have been so blind?" He scowled.

"Stop being so melodramatic. Did you get hold of William or not?" I was growing tired of this pleasant facade.

"He refused your case," he stated tersely.

"Then talk to Aro. I want to get out of here today. You wouldn't believe the filth they have me staying in."

"Aro has been hired by Bella, so I'm afraid he won't help you. Neither will I. I'm filing for divorce as soon as I leave here. Then I plan to cooperate fully with the FBI. You'll have to make due with a court-appointed attorney since all your accounts have been frozen, and I won't pay for one." He stood.

"The FBI?" I glanced up, feeling the color drain from my face.

"Yes, the charges you're being leveled with fall under their jurisdiction." He headed for the door.

"Wait! Tell Isabella to visit me. I'm sure we can come to an agreement," I pleaded.

He turned and leveled me with a stare. "I'm afraid your days of manipulating that girl have come to end."

He left me sitting alone in the room.

I huffed angrily refusing to give up; I will get Isabella here and convince her that this was all a misunderstanding.

The door reopened, and I glanced up expecting the fool guard but was surprised when Isabella entered. She was pasty pale with stringy hair and no makeup, wearing an over-sized t-shirt and jean shorts. She looked dreadful.

I hid my smile.

This was going to be easier than I thought. I bit back my comments, knowing that I needed her full cooperation. I couldn't help but scowl when the Cullen boy followed her in. He shot me a hateful glare, daring me to say something.

Well, I wasn't that stupid.

"Isabella and Edward, I'm so happy to see you both. Edward, I do apologize for our little mix-up the other night. As her mother, I hope you understand I only wanted what was best for her."

Isabella stopped in her tracks and raised an eyebrow. Edward rolled his eyes and smirked back at me. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. He then wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to a chair and took a seat beside her.

"Edward, do you think you could give me a moment alone with my daughter." I smiled winningly.

"I asked him to come in, and he stays," Isabella responded defiantly.

"Very well, sweetheart, there seems to be some misunderstanding. If you had come to me first, I could've explained it all to you," I said sweetly.

"I think what I found was pretty cut and dry." Her eyes narrowed.

"You know, you shouldn't have been snooping in my things. I can press charges back for breaking and entering as well as theft," I threatened lightly.

"Since the house is in her name, bought with her money, that would fail in court. As for the safe, you gave her the combination yourself and she only took her own documentation." Edward smiled condescendingly.

"I didn't—"

"You did … At the anniversary party when I asked for it to put your necklace back." Isabella cut me off. "So what could you possibly say to me to stop me from pressing charges?"

"It wasn't my fault. Your father was a cruel man and took advantage of me when I was only sixteen-years-old. He raped me, and I became pregnant with you. He refused child support, and I was surprised when he left that money to you after years of no contact." I let the tears roll down my cheeks.

Edward barked out a laugh as Bella continuously looked at me stupefied.

"How dare you? Isabella, how could you be with someone that treats your mother so horrifically?" I cried.

"Word of advice, Renée," Edward said shortly then pointed across the room,"two-way mirror."

"You've been spying on me," I yelled.

"You didn't tell us anything we didn't already know." Isabella stood abruptly. "We're wasting our time here. See you in court, Renée."

"You will treat me with the respect I deserve. I am your mother, and I know that you love me," I called after her.

She whirled around. "How can anyone love a noose around their neck? I'm not stupid, I know you've been trying to kill me, and so do the police. And respect is earned, and you've done nothing to get mine. My entire life with you has been a lie." She left the room quickly with the boy at her heels.

As the door slammed behind them, it sunk in that I was screwed. But that didn't mean I wasn't going down without a fight. I worked too hard for everything to give it up.

No, this was far from over.

 **A/N:**

 **So there you go, you've now seen into Renée's evil mind. I hope this answers just about all your questions. Phil knew nothing, he was a victim just as much as Bella. Yes, I know he had his head in the sand, but at least he's trying to do the right thing now.**

 **Two small Easter eggs. Officer in Black is indeed Jacob. He had mowed the lawn before Edward. Renée 'fired' for lumps of grass in the yard. Jane is the hostess from the seafood restaurant that fooled around with Ken.**

 **Thank you for all the love and reviews you have given my story.**


	22. Chapter 21

I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 21**

The days went by fast after Renée's arrest. The judge denied bail, sighting her as a flight risk, and she was sent to a correctional facility closer to Concord. Laurent was also locked up for similar reasons—the pretrials were set for the following week.

Phil had moved out the mansion and found a small condo while I was still living with Edward. I didn't feel comfortable in that big house by myself, and I had plans to sell it once everything was all over since it never felt like home anyway. The only thing I felt bad about was Mrs. Cope. However, she planned to move to Florida to be with her sister.

Before I knew it, it was my birthday, and for the first time since I was sixteen, I enjoyed my day. Everyone met at the Cullen's that night, and Esme had made a delicious lasagna dinner with Black Forest cake for dessert. It was also nice to receive gifts from those who actually knew what I liked.

Edward gave me a beautiful Claddagh ring that complimented the necklace he had given me years ago—I proudly wore both every day. Esme and Carlisle surprised us…well, most, since Alice knew…by paying for rooms at the Boston Harbor Hotel for our overnight.

"This is a great view of the bay. We really owe your parents a huge thank you for doing this." I stood by the window looking at the boats in the water.

"They loved doing it. They claimed they had five years of birthdays and Christmases to make up for." Edward wrapped his arms around my waist. "Are you ready to go? You know how Alice gets once she's in the city."

"Let's just be thankful we don't live closer to New York City, I can only imagine what she'd be like there," I said as I pulled a light cardigan out of my suitcase.

"We went there on spring break our senior year in high school. We weren't in the city an hour, and she found a Statue of Liberty crown, toy torch and 'I Heart NY.' sweatshirt. She wore it everywhere, insisting on getting her picture taken at every spot we stopped. Talk about screaming 'I'm a tourist' to strangers." He chuckled.

"I'm actually sorry I missed that." I laughed. "Could you put my ID and cash in your wallet so I don't have to carry a purse?"

"Certainly." He took them from me just as there was a knock on the door.

I opened it, and Alice literally bounced into the room, knocking me into Edward. The others followed her at a more reasonable pace.

"We have reservations at Cheers for six, which gives us plenty of time before our reservations at Howl at the Moon. Then Coogan's is a short walk from there. Actually, all of these are walking distance," she explained excitedly. "But we still have plenty of time before the first reservation, so what shall we do…Aquarium...the IMAX at the Aquarium...Duck Tours…shopping?"

"How about breathe?" Emmett snickered.

Rose hid her smile as she elbowed him. Alice spun around and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Careful, Emmett, I wouldn't antagonize her. The last time we went to Boston, she tried to run down Ken on our way here," I warned him playfully.

"Too bad she missed." Emmett laughed boisterously then stopped suddenly.

His eyes narrowed in on Alice. She stopped bouncing and took a backward step towards Jasper. He rested his hand on her shoulder then cast a curious look between Em and Alice. We all knew Emmett would never hurt Alice, but he could appear intimidating to anyone when angry.

"Didn't you borrow my Jeep the last time you came here?" Emmett asked suspiciously.

"Ummm…yeah." Alice grinned sheepishly. "But if you saw the look on Ken's face when he was covered in mud and who knows what else, you couldn't possibly be mad. I wouldn't have actually hit him."

"If you met the prick, you would say he had it coming," Jasper told Emmett to reason with him.

"It would be better for that jackass if he doesn't ever cross my path. But next time, use your own car." Emmett smirked.

"How about we go see some penguins," I suggested, trying to change the subject.

"Sounds good to me. Jasper, make sure you hold on to Alice at all times, so she doesn't end up swimming with them. The last time we were there, she leaned so far over for a picture she nearly fell in. If Emmett hadn't grabbed her in time, she would have," Edward teased as he ruffled his sister's hair.

"Ha, ha, very funny." She made a childish face back at him.

 **MoU**

A few hours later, we were walking down Broad St. to Howl at the Moon. We had just finished dinner at Cheers. My cheeks still felt red from blushing so brightly when practically the whole restaurant sang happy birthday to me.

Or perhaps it was because I wasn't used to drinking such strong liquor. I had occasional sips of wine, but that was about it. Alice insisted that I should try some fruity concoction that tasted good, but I had no clue what was in it.

I had to admit I was a bit nervous as we got closer when I saw the line out the door. Club scenes were never really my thing, but Rose and Alice both claimed they only heard good things about the place.

Edward gave my waist a small squeeze then pulled me closer. "Are you nervous? We can find somewhere else to go if you want," he whispered into my ear.

"Just a little. Promise you won't let anyone talk me into doing something I'll regret tomorrow," I asked.

"Of course, my love. I wasn't going to drink that much anyway. I don't fully trust a sober Alice when everyone else is drinking," he promised.

"I only dared Emmett to sing Karaoke. He chose to sing _I'm a Barbie Girl_ all on his own," Alice defended herself.

"Yeah, but did you have to tape me and put it on Facebook," Emmett complained. "Just you wait, pixie, your twenty-first is coming next."

"Yeah, yeah."Alice just grinned and led the way to the front of the line. She frowned slightly when large Xs were stamped on her hands to signify that she was underage.

We entered and were led to tables that were pushed together. We had an excellent view of the stage where a band was already performing with people dancing right in front. We weren't seated long when a waitress came up to take our order.

"Hi, I'm Tia, what can I get you guys tonight?" Her ponytail bounced as glanced at each of us, one at a time.

"We're celebrating our friend's birthday, and I think she needs one of those." Alice pointed at another waitress passing by with a drink that looked as if it was served in a rather large bucket.

"There is no way I could drink that on my own." I shot her a look.

"I'll split one with you," Rose offered.

She grabbed the list from the center of the table and shared it with me. "You can pick, they all look pretty good to me."

"Howlin' Punch." I choose one quickly.

The guys ordered beers, and Alice asked for soda plus a round of waters for everyone. Tia returned a few minutes later and passed out the drinks. I took the first, tentative sip and found it very fruity with a bit of a kick.

It was faster than I thought it would be before our straws were slurping the bottom of the bucket. I felt more relaxed and took off my sweater, letting it rest on the back of the chair since it suddenly felt warmer.

"That was great. I don't think they put that much alcohol in it," I said out loud.

Jasper looked at me with a raised eyebrow and smirked before wrapping his arm around a giggling Alice's shoulders. Emmett snickered and downed the rest of his second beer.

"What did I say?" I turned to Edward.

"Nothing, love, maybe you should have some of your water now." He pushed an untouched glass towards me.

"Shall we get another?" Rose asked brightly, grabbing the list.

"There was one called a Fruit Roll-Up. I haven't had one of those since I was eight. How about we try that one," I agreed excitedly.

"How about we hold off on another drink right now," Edward suggested.

"Awww, but she only turns twenty-one once." Alice grinned.

Edward shot her a look, and her smile only grew bigger. I didn't want an argument to start so I tried to placate him. I scooted closer, rubbing his bicep. He looked down at me and smiled softly.

"I think I can handle another. I don't think they put much in the first one," I insisted.

I have a different idea. Come dance with me." Edward stood and held out a hand.

"Okay." I slid off the chair, and the room started to tilt.

Edward held on to me as an amused smiled flickered on his face. I leaned into him while I caught my bearings.

"Is this one ofthose moving dance floors?" I glanced around.

"No, sweetheart, I believe that would be the effects of the alcohol." He chuckled and kissed my temple.

"Let's dance!" I pulled him towards the other dancers.

Edward spun me around to face him then started to move with the music. My hands itched to touch him and rubbed up and down his chest, to feel the muscles under his shirt.

He winked at me then moved my arms around his neck. We continued to sway together, and I wrapped myself around him and buried my face into his neck.

Mmmm…he smelled amazing tonight.

Suddenly my desire for him was overwhelming. My mind filled with images of our recently increased intimacy, and it was as if I couldn't get enough of him. I placed a small kiss under his jaw and let my hand travel down his body.

He caught my hand before I could reach his pants and gave it a gentle squeeze and then held it to his chest. He kissed me lightly, and I tried to encourage him to deepen it. He pulled away and rested his forehead against mine. I felt a small swell of rejection.

"Love, we can't get carried away here," he reminded me with a look of regret.

"Oh… right." I looked away and remembered we were far from being alone.

I turned back and pouted. "But I really want you to make love to me right now." I kissed down his jawline, the way I knew he liked.

"Love, you're killing me," he groaned. "Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to resist you right now."

"I can feel how hard. Although, I'd like it harder and a few inches lower," I murmured and pressed myself against his bulge.

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath.

"Exactly," I cooed. "Shall we find a closet or something?" I batted my eyes.

"Love, I'm never taking you in a closet like that," he said huskily, and his eyes darkened.

"Please! I don't think I can wait," I insisted.

"Can't wait for what?" Emmett's voice boomed from next to us.

Unphased I turned to him. "For sex in a closet."

Em blinked, and his eyes widened comically. His jaw slacked, and he looked unsure how to respond.

"Uh…" He glanced at Edward.

"What? We do it all the time."

Alice was nearby and laughing hysterically. "Okay, you're right, she's had enough."

"But we hav—"

Edward covered my lips with his before I could finish speaking.

"Sweetheart, I think if you finish this conversation it will venture into what you'll regret later." He chuckled.

"Oh." I didn't agree since I wasn't ashamed that we were constantly intimate.

"Ugh…why did he have to be here of all nights." Rose glared across the room.

"Who?" Emmett snapped out of his stupor and glanced in the direction of her stare.

"It's Ken." I huffed when I spotted the golden-haired jerk.

"That's Ken?" Emmett grinned. "And he's coming this way. Sweet, now's my chance to have some fun with him."

Ken walked towards us with a redhead and a blonde on his heels. "Isa, I see you're slumming it with the pool boy."

Something inside me snapped, and I stepped forward poking him in the chest. "His name is Edward, and he's more than a pool boy."

"That's right, he mows lawns too." Ken smirked.

I raised my hand to slap him, and Edward grabbed me around the waist then pulled me back until I was flush against him.

"Like you're one to talk about other's relationships, Ken."

"Ken?" He frowned in confusion.

"Yes, you're plastic and fake; and I do wonder if you're trying to compensate for not being anatomically correct by going through more girls in a day than a chain smoker goes through cigarettes," I blurted out.

Everyone around us started to laugh. Edward was shaking hard as he tried to keep it in and moved me behind him.

Ken's face flamed red. "Why I ought to…"

"You ought to what?" Emmett stepped in between us.

Ken glanced at him and took a step back. "Leave. We're leaving. Apparently, this place lets anyone in."

He walked away with his girls in tow. Edward released his grip and kissed me.

"I'm sorry, I tried to stop you, but it was just too funny." He looked highly amused.

"That's not how I saw things going. I don't know whether to be upset I didn't get my shot or buy Bella a drink for that." Emmett roared with laughter.

"That certainly beat my Mattel comment." Jasper grinned.

"I'll take that Fruit Roll-Up, now." I nodded excitedly.

"How about some water, something to eat too." Edward winked at me.

 **MoU**

I groaned and tried to bury myself further under the covers. I felt the bed move, and it took a minute to realize I was completely naked and sprawled out on top of Edward.

"Good morning, sweetheart. How are you feeling?" He brushed my hair away from my face.

I blinked up at him and let my eyes get adjusted to the light. "I have a headache, but not too bad. I must be one of those people who get sleepy after one or two drinks." I yawned.

He started to chuckle and handed me a glass of water. "I think that is the last thing you were last night. What do you remember?"

I took a sip of water. "I remember getting to Howl at the Moon and sharing a drink that looked like it was in a large sand pail with Rose. Then"—I paused trying to remember—"We danced and…oh." I blushed as I remembered trying to convince him to have sex in a closet.

"Did I really announced to Emmett that I wanted to go have sex with you?" I asked sheepishly.

"Yup. Do you remember running into Austin?" Edward smirked and kissed my cheek.

"No…do I want to know?" I glanced at him warily.

"You referred to him as Ken to his face and made a comment about him not being anatomically correct, which is why he sleeps around." Edward coughed trying to cover a laugh.

"Oh, God, I didn't." I felt slightly embarrassed then started to giggle. "Whoops."

"Emmett was so proud he bought you another bucket drink." Edward grinned crookedly.

"I don't remember that at all." I frowned.

"You drank about half your share, and at least one and a half glasses of water. We then headed over to Coogan's, and we had some nachos, wings, and breadsticks. I also replaced your drink with an orange juice plus a bit more water."

"Huh…okay. I still have one question," I asked.

"What is it?" he responded lightly.

"Why do you have clothes on while I don't, that's not fair." I pouted.

"I tried to keep clothes on you, but you kept insisting you were too hot and would start stripping. Plus, if I got within a foot of you, you tried to jump me," he teased.

"I didn't. Please say we were back here when that happened." I felt horrified.

"Don't worry no one saw anything, but your belly button. When we did get back, though, you wanted me to put on my swimsuit and play pool boy and mistress," he teased.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking," I apologized.

He rolled over, and I found myself pinned under him. He kissed me heatedly and positioned himself between my legs.

"Don't be sorry. I'll happily role play with you anytime, as long as you're sober. The idea of rubbing your body down with oil is appealing. You're not the only one with fantasies you know." His hips thrust forward, and I moaned from the contact.

"Don't tease." I yanked on his shorts.

"I don't plan on it," he vowed.

 **MoU**

An hour and a half later, I sat looking out at the bay while Edward was in the shower. We decided to take them separately so we wouldn't get carried away again. My phone ringing in the otherwise silent room sounded obnoxiously loud. I grabbed it and answered quickly.

"Hello?"

"Isabella, it's Aro. I'm sorry to call you on a Sunday, but I had some updates that I thought you would like to hear." He sounded excited.

"Go on." I glanced at the bathroom door wishing Edward was out here with me.

"First off, there will be no pretrial for Laurent this week," he explained.

"Why not?" I frowned.

"He made a plea deal that is just waiting for approval with the judge."

"What does that mean?" I grew nervous.

I didn't like the idea of him getting off and going free—he needed to pay.

"Laurent is going to testify against your mother. Seems that he kept texts, messages and e-mails that will help implicate Renée. We now have the evidence that she had him tamper with Charles Swan's car, and he also claims he was witness to Renée starting the fire at Marie Swan's home. This is great news," Aro claimed.

"So he gets to go free if he testifies?" I bit my lip.

"No…no…he'll still get jail time. He looking at forty years at least. When he gets out, he'll be an old man," Aro promised.

"Oh, okay. Is there any chance of Renée making a similar deal?" I asked.

"With everything she's done, I highly doubt they'll offer any type of plea deal. I'll see you kids on Thursday. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me, that's what I'm here for," he encouraged.

"Thank you, and I will." I hung up and let my phone drop to my side.

I curled up and rested my chin on my knees, staring at the small waves from the wakes of a few passing boats. I turned as Edward stepped out of the bathroom rubbing a towel in his hair.

"Who was that?" he asked, tossing his towel back into the bathroom.

"That was Aro. Laurent is taking a plea deal and will be going away for forty years if he testifies against Renée," I answered robotically.

"Well, that's good isn't?" He knelt in front of my chair, taking my hand.

I shrugged. "It is, with his testimony we'll prove that Renée's responsible for my dad and my grandmother's deaths. But what happens in forty years and he decides to come back after me or our kids."

"One, he'd be a senior citizen at that point, and two, he'd have no resources. We can also get a restraining order if you think it's really necessary." He gave my hand a gentle squeeze and a small smile.

"You're right, I'm being silly. We would have years before we need to be worried," I agreed, feeling better.

"So is there something you need to tell me…we're having kids?" His smile grew wider.

I blushed when I realized my slip. "Would that be a bad thing?"

"No, I think one day that will be perfect. However, I hope we're married first." He placed a kiss on my hand.

"Are you asking?" I grinned.

"Not today." He winked.

 **A/N:**

 **Some birthday fun for Bella and the rest. Bella is the type that loses her filter and is a bit horny after drinking. ;) Technically some of those places are 21 and over so Alice wouldn't be allowed in, but I bent the rules slightly for fiction.**

 **Ken made a small reappearance. Did you miss him?**

 **How is that for a bit of karma that Laurent didn't trust Renée and is ready testify against her? No worries, he still going to have to pay for his role in it.**

 **Thank you for all the love and reviews you have given my story.**


	23. Chapter 22

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Ch. 22**

 **EPOV**

Our lives had begun to settle down by the beginning of the new year.

Renée had been handed a tremendous amount of karma—all well deserved. However, I felt it wasn't enough. Nevertheless, while serving multiple life sentences, she could never again hurt Bella.

Renée invoked her right for a speedy trial. It began in December and progressed quickly due to the landslide of evidence against her. If she had hoped that speedier would work in her favor—it failed her. It seems all of Renée's so-called friends abandoned her, and they couldn't scrounge up anyone to testify on her behalf. In fact, those she'd paid off in the past, lined up to give evidence against her to lessen their own sentences.

She first tried to claim that Charles had raped her at the age of sixteen. However, it didn't get her very far. For one, the statute of limitation had passed in the State of Washington, and in addition, a childhood friend of Charlie's, Harry Clearwater, and Phil discredited her. She then changed tactics and tried to blame Laurent, which only blew up in her face when evidence backing his story was presented.

Throughout the trial, I tried to remain by Bella's side as much as possible. Unfortunately, the trial coincided with finals. Bella insisted that she was fine going to court with my mother and Phil instead of me, stating she knew that I loved and supported her. She also claimed the best thing I could do for both of us was not to let Renée interfere with our future.

The jury was barely out for a day before they came back and found Renée guilty on all accounts.

A weight was lifted off Bella's shoulders, and we were able to have a Merry Christmas with my family. Even Phil joined us at Bella's request; she felt sorry that he was now all alone; that he was just as much a victim as she was.

 **MoU**

By the middle of February, I had all my applications in for law schools in the New England area. I scored high on LSAT, and my grade point average was a 4.0 despite the distraction—if anything, I had been inspired to work harder. My first choice was Harvard; however, the other schools had a high rate of placements after degrees so I wouldn't be disappointed with any of them.

I also didn't want to be far from Bella. My hopes were that she would go with me and get her Graduate's Degree from the same school or another college close by.

My focus now was filling out applications to get an internship at a law firm. I was hoping I could balance that and possibly a part time job if I didn't get enough financial aid.

My cell phone rang, and I looked up from my computer to grab it. I was surprised to the caller ID said, Aro Hunter. The trial had been long since over, and it was way too early to mow lawns or clean pools.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Edward, my boy, Aro Hunter here. How's the second semester treating you?" he asked very pleasantly.

"Fine, sir. I should be graduating Summa Cum Laude this spring," I replied.

"That's excellent, just what I wanted to hear. You never told me you were pursuing a Law career. Thankfully, a little birdie told me the other day you were looking for internships. I'd like you to come in so we can talk about an excellent opportunity I have. Do you have time tomorrow afternoon?" he asked.

"I do, after two. What kind of opportunity?" I questioned suspiciously.

"Well, to make it brief, the firm would be looking to invest in your future. I'll have the details for you tomorrow at my office, let's say, two-thirty?"

"I'll be there," I agreed.

He hung up immediately after, and I stared at the wall in front of me. Hunter internships were few, and even then they were extremely hard to get, even for second-year law students. I tried to figure out how he found out about me. There was only one conclusion.

Bella.

I felt a swell of irritation. She knew how I felt about doing things on my own and that I wasn't looking for handouts. We had a small argument just last month when she offered to help pay for school. It felt as if she went behind my back.

Just then, my bedroom door opened, and Bella walked in. She looked tired and nervous about something and I could only guess what.

"Hi, how was your day?" She leaned in and kissed my cheek before settling on the bed.

"It was interesting," I answered her shortly.

"I have something I need to talk to you about. I did something yesterday, and now I'm rather anxious about it. Perhaps, I should've talked to you first." She twisted her hands in her lap.

"Yes, _perhaps,_ you should've." I turned to face her.

"It's really not that bad, in fact, I think it could be good." Bella tried to smile, but it failed.

"You still went behind my back. He told me," I snapped.

"It wasn't like that. I made a spur of the moment decision, and since he was right there, I mentioned it." She looked hurt.

"You should have consulted me first. You know how I feel about things like this," I argued.

"I didn't think you'd be this mad." Her voice was small.

I got up and headed for the door.

"Edward, where are you going?" She hurried after me.

"Bella, I need to leave before I say something I'll regret, and right now, I can't stay here since this room is too small for the both of us." I closed the door behind me.

I decided to take a run through the park to clear my head—my warm breath leaving small puffs in the frozen air. By the time I got back, I had calmed down and wasn't angry anymore.

When I entered the apartment, it was like dark and quiet. I had an uneasy feeling as I quickly hung up my jacket and kicked off my shoes. I hurried to our bedroom to find the door open, but it was empty inside.

"Bella?" I called.

I tried calling her cell next, and it went straight to voicemail.

"Bella, I'm not mad anymore, please call me." I left a quick message.

I heard the apartment door open, and I rushed back to the living room. Jasper was just hanging up his coat and gave me a quick nod.

"Have you seen, Bella?" I asked.

"Seems she felt as if she overstayed her welcome here, and was going to go back to her house." He paused on the way to his room and gave me a blank look. "I gave her a ride to your parents' house, and Alice was able to talk her into staying with her for the night."

"So that's it, you both took her side." I felt a flare of irritation.

He held up his arms in surrender. "I don't even know what the fight was about. She wouldn't say anything to us, except that you left angry, refusing to talk about it and basically hinted you wanted her out. I wasn't going to force her to stay when she felt like that, man. I think she's been through enough of that shit."

I winced slightly at him for comparing me to her mother.

"She went behind my back and got me an interview with Aro Hunter. He called earlier and said a little _birdie_ told him I was looking for an internship at a law firm. He wants to see me tomorrow. She came home minutes later, only to tell me that she did something the other day that she should've probably talked to me about first," I said in frustration.

He looked at me incredulously. "So let's make sure I have this straight. You're upset because she name dropped you to her lawyer?"

"It was only offered it because of her," I pointed out.

"You're kidding me, right? This sounds like the whole, _pool job_ situation from last summer, all over again. And might I point out that you were wrong then. Do you honestly think Aro Hunter would offer you an internship just because she mentioned you were looking?" Jasper scoffed.

"I …" I felt like a jerk.

"You need to get your pride in check. Even if she did mention your name, then so what? It's still up to you to prove you can do the job." Jasper shook his head.

"You're right." I headed for the door.

"It's after midnight. It would be better if you waited until morning," Jasper suggested softly.

 **MoU**

I still hadn't been able to get hold of Bella before I went to my meeting with Aro. I had a feeling I was going to have a lot to make up for when I saw her next. I had overreacted and treated her horribly.

"He will see you now." Aro's secretary, Gianna, pointed to a door.

I rose to my feet and straightened my tie before entering his office. He stood and shook my hand with a smile on his face.

"Edward, good to see you, again. How is Isabella, I haven't seen her in awhile," he asked as he retook his seat.

"She's fine, sir." I now felt a bit confused.

"I'm glad to hear it, she's such a sweet girl. I was happy to help her get that shrew of a mother put away where she belongs." He shuffled and restacked the papers in front of him.

"Let's get down to business, shall we? It seems my Heidi found another diamond in the rough for me. I might have to hire her as a headhunter for the firm." He became more business-like.

My thoughts froze momentarily. It was Heidi that mentioned me? I was even a bigger jerk than I thought.

"I asked your school to send your transcripts over, and I'm very pleased with what I received. Your LSAT scores are excellent, and I have high hopes for you. Where have you applied for law school?" he asked.

"Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, and University of New Hampshire, sir," I answered.

"Good, good. I'll cut straight to the point, I'd like to offer you an opportunity with this firm." He passed me a pack of papers. "My plan would be for you to intern during your breaks, starting off working with paralegals. As you move further on in your studies, you would work with senior lawyers on cases, perhaps even sitting in as third or even second chair. After you graduate and pass the bar, there will be a position here for you in the firm. If you accept this offer, we will pay for you to go school as long as you keep your G.P.A above 3.8. We will also give you a reasonable stipend for living expenses. All we ask in return is that you stay with the firm for a period of five years after graduation."

I blinked down at the papers in wonderment. This surpassed my expectations by far—it was a dream offer. Still, after the way I treated Bella, I wasn't sure if I deserved it.

"May I have I time to read through this and decide," I asked, hoping I didn't sound ungrateful.

"I was hoping to hear you say that. I wouldn't trust someone who just signed before reading it thoroughly. The offer is good until a week from today. Does that sound fair?" Aro grinned.

"Yes, sir. And thank you, the offer sounds amazing."

"You're welcome. I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't received a leg up. I made a vow to myself to help others, such as yourself, who showed great promise." He stood and held out his hand.

I got to my feet and shook his hand. Gianna showed me out, and I started to read the contract in the elevator on my way down. Aro's offer sounded too good to be true, but here it was in black and white.

However, I couldn't focus on it. Finding Bella and apologizing weighted heavily on my mind. I was also worried about what she was trying to tell me last night. If she didn't talk to Aro, who did she talk to?

I tried to reach her on her phone, but again, it went straight to voicemail. I remembered that today she was working at the florist. I climbed into Jasper's car and drove a few blocks down and parked in the parking lot.

Inside, the shop was busier than I've ever seen it. There were also red decorations everywhere I could see. Customers were clutching teddy bears, and flowers.

Double shit. I was on a roll. Today was Valentine's Day.

My mother glanced up and gave me a look telling me that I was in trouble. I gave her a sheepish smile. She shook her head and pointed to the back. I made my way through to the room where they put bouquets together. Bella had her back to me working on filling a vase with red roses and baby's breath.

"I'm almost finished with this one." She looked over her shoulder, and her face fell.

It killed me to see her red-rimmed eyes with bags under them. She turned back away from me and went back to work.

"So, which of these flowers say, _forgive me, I'm a complete jackass_ ," I asked, walking up to the table.

"You can't be back here," she replied.

"I need to talk to you," I pleaded.

"This isn't the place, I'm at work." She picked up the vase with shaky hands and blinked back some tears.

"Let me." I took it from her.

She relinquished it to me without a word and went over to a list. I brought the flowers up front and handed them off to my mother. Alice had arrived while I had been in the back, and she glared at me.

"Thank you," Mom said then turned to my sister. "Alice, take over on the register. I'm going to relieve Bella, she's been here all day."

I followed her like a lost puppy to the back. Bella was now working on another vase of mixed flowers. My mother spoke softly to her for a moment then gently shooed her away. Bella took off her apron and crossed her arms in front of her, staring at me.

"Can we go somewhere and talk?" I asked.

She nodded and grabbed her coat then headed for the back door. Mom handed me a single red rose on my way by and gave me a small smile. Bella was waiting by Jasper's car by the time I caught up with her.

I handed her the flower, and she took it without looking at me. I knew I was going to have my work cut out for me. I just wasn't sure if she was more mad or hurt at the moment.

"When I said I needed space last night I wasn't implying at all that you had to leave," I softly explained as I started the car.

"Well, I didn't feel welcomed either," she said sadly.

"And I'm very sorry for that among other things, which is why I want to talk about what happened." I shifted in the seat to face her.

"I tried that last night, and you shut me out." Tears ran down her cheeks. She focused on twirling the stem in her fingers.

"I know. I was a jackass for how I treated you. I'm sorry, and I'll do anything to make it up to you, beautiful. If I had just listened, I wouldn't have jumped to conclusions. I hate that I've hurt you when you did nothing wrong. Please, please forgive me," I begged, brushing her tears away. "I love you so much. I can't promise we'll never fight in the future, but I will promise never to walk away without listening."

"I love you, too." She cleared her throat roughly.

I leaned in and kissed her cheeks then lightly on her lips. She returned the kiss shyly and gave me a watery smile.

"Why were you so upset with me?" She sat back in her seat.

"I thought you spoke to Aro about offering me an internship." I grimaced.

"I haven't talked to him in about a month." Her eyebrows furrowed.

"So I found out. It was Heidi that mentioned me to him. And after talking to Jasper last night, I realized that even if you did, I was an ass for getting mad about it. So again, beautiful, I'm sorry," I apologized.

"I did run into Heidi last week, and she asked about you, and we caught up with how things were going with school and such. I told her you were searching for internships." She frowned.

I shook my head feeling horrible for the third time today. "I'm not mad at you for talking to Heidi."

"Wait … Aro offered you an internship? That's great news, though, right?" She bit her lip.

"I met with him earlier. It's more than an internship that he's proposing. He's offering to pay my way through law school if I join his firm for a minimum of five years after I pass the bar," I explained.

"Edward, that is fantastic news." She hugged me tightly.

"How can you be so happy for me?" I questioned.

"How can I not? You deserve a break, you've earned it." She pulled away.

"I couldn't be happy about it knowing that I hurt you," I replied honestly.

"Oh…" She blushed.

"It seems I still have a problem with my pride." I smiled ruefully.

She leaned back and kissed my cheek. "We'll work on it. I'm so happy for you! This is a great opportunity, be happy, you deserve it."

"Why aren't you mad at me?" I asked.

"You want me to be mad?" She looked confused.

"No, but it would serve me right." I smirked.

"You're so weird." A smile played on her lips.

"So what was it you were trying to tell me last night." I laced my fingers with hers.

"I talked to Jasper about finding out more about my father—I mean, I don't even know what he looked like. I was thinking of going to Forks one weekend to see where he lived and where he's buried. I was hoping you'd go with me, and I was going to offer to buy your ticket, but was afraid you'd be offended if I did." She avoided eye contact at the end.

As if I didn't feel like a big enough jerk already; she needed my support last night, and I blew up on her.

I kissed the back of her hand. "Of course, I'll go with you. I think it's great you want to know more about your father. I swear to be a good boy and not complain."

"Thank you." She smiled shyly.

"I owe you another apology; I kinda forgot what today is. I have a present for you back at the apartment, but the date got away from me. I really suck at this boyfriend thing right now, don't I?"

"Don't worry about it. I don't need a holiday to know you love me."

What did I do to deserve this girl?

"You're far too forgiving, you should be more demanding; make me wait on you hand and foot or something." I smirked.

She raised one eyebrow and gave me a devilish smile. "You want me to be demanding … fine. I demand you buy me a pizza for dinner, and brownies for dessert to take back to the apartment. You'll then change into your swimsuit and be my love slave for the evening."

"As you wish, ma'am." I winked at her, making her giggle.

I think this day might just turn out to be great after all.

 **A/N:**

 **Small hiccup, but they got through it. I know some of you were looking for a trial, but hopefully, I gave you enough to know that Renée had no chance of getting off despite her threats.**

 **We are coming to an end. The Epilogue is next, believe it or not. Up next Moonstone will continue.**

 **Thank you for all your love and reviews you have given this story.**


	24. Epilogue

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

 **Gabby and April,** **thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.**

 **Epilogue**

 **Eight years** **later.**

I relaxed in my lounge chair as I kept my eyes on the pool. We've talked about putting in a bigger one once the kids are older, but for now, it was a perfect size. It was an easy setup, one that was only about two and a half feet deep with a diameter of eight feet. Edward did the upkeep himself, so no pool boy was necessary.

After graduation, we took a trip to the Bahamas to celebrate before Edward started his internship. It was there that Edward proposed. He held up a sign under water proposing to me while we were snorkeling.

To my surprise, everyone knew what he had planned, and they all showed up the next day. Edward had even invited Phil to join us. The day before we returned home, we were married at sunset in a small ceremony on the beach. Emmett still likes to joke that we got our wedding and honeymoon backward.

Not long after, we bought a condo in Cambridge to live in while we were in school and another in our hometown to stay in during the summer. After Edward's misconception about Aro's job offer, he never said a word about using my inheritance to pay for anything.

In Edward's second year of law, we were blessed with our daughter, Abigail Marie. She came into the world screaming, with reddish-brown hair like her father's. Her temperament was much like his as well. At an early age, she was very insistent that she needed to do things for herself without any help. She was outgoing and made friends wherever she went.

Our son, Charles Anthony, was born nine months after our second honeymoon, where we celebrated Edward's passing of the bar. He had dark hair like mine, but the rest of his features were his dad's. He was the opposite of his sister and was very shy.

After Abby was born, I changed the direction of my life. I wanted to be the type of mother that Renée wasn't. I wanted my kids to have memories of a loving mom who played with them, taught them to cook and read to them every night. So since we could afford it, even with Edward still in school, I stayed home with my two little ones. Edward was completely devoted to the children too, making sure he spent time with them each day, no matter how busy he became.

Once Edward graduated, we moved into a four-bedroom house with a large backyard. The perfect size for our family with furniture meant to be sat on and toys scattered throughout the house—telling all visitors that kids lived here.

At that time, I resumed working at the rec center, and the kids joined me there. With a large donation, mostly from Aro Hunter, and ourselves, we expanded the center and gave it the much-needed updates it required. There were now separate rooms for the art department that Alice ran, a music room that Heidi took over, a gym, an indoor pool, and a nursery/daycare. As well as a new playground.

"Mom, when is Jack getting here?" Abby asked as she stood in the middle of the pool with water dripping from her pigtails.

"He should be here soon," I informed her.

"Who is Jack?" Jasper and Alice's daughter, Lucy asked.

"He's my boyfriend," Abby announced loudly.

I covered my giggles with my hand as Edward whipped his head away from talking to the guys at the grill.

"You're too young for a boyfriend." He narrowed his eyes.

"Am not!" She placed her hands on her hips. "When we're big enough, we're going to get married."

"You are definitely too young to be thinking about getting married." Edward shook his head.

"I'm getting married too." Em and Rose's, four-year-old daughter, Lilly, proclaimed. She was Rose's mini-me to the T.

"Oh yeah, and who is the guy, do I know him?" Emmett looked more amused than Edward had been about his daughter's declaration.

"Chucky." She pointed at my son. She ran over and hugged him

He glanced up from his turtle sandbox with a flaming red face. "Don't call me that."

"I like Chucky, it's cute, like you." Lilly leaned in and kissed him.

"Ewww. Yuck," Charlie frantically wiped at his face.

I burst into giggles when Rose snorted beside me. Alice turned her head and tried to hide her laughter with her hand. We watched as the scene continued to unfold before us—the two of them had gained the attention of everyone in the yard.

"Don't wipe off my kisses. Now stay still." Lilly pouted then puckered up for a second attempt.

"No." Charlie jumped to his feet and took off running, kicking up the sand behind him.

"Come back here," Lilly hollered, chasing after him.

"Could your daughter be any more like you?" Alice snickered.

"I would like to think that she's more like her father. I never had to chase anyone for a kiss." Rose grinned widely as she rubbed her very pregnant belly.

We watched the kids zig-zag around the yard. Luckily for Charlie, he did receive his father's athletic ability and not my clumsiness. He bolted for the gate just as Phil stepped through with his new wife, Charlotte.

"Grampa, help." Charlie hid behind Phil's legs.

"What is going on here?" Phil looked at Charlie, who was peeking out from behind him, to Lilly who was standing a few feet away with a scowl on her face.

"She's trying to kiss me." Charlie pointed at her.

"Boyfriends and girlfriends are supposed to kiss." Lilly pouted.

"Oh, I see." Phil grinned amusedly. "There will come a day when you'll want a pretty girl to kiss you." He ruffled Charlie's head.

"Nuh uh." Charlie shook his head.

Lilly stuck out her tongue at him then ran back to the pool.

Phil stayed in our lives over the years by my insistence. For a long time after Renee's incarceration, he felt responsible for not seeing her for who she was. However, I couldn't blame him any more than I could blame myself.

"I'm glad that you could make it." I gave them both a hug as I greeted them.

"Thank you for having us." Phil smiled warmly at me.

"I brought some cupcakes, I hope that's okay. The ones with the green frosting are gluten-free. I remembered that Lucy's allergic, right?" Charlotte gave me a nervous smile.

"Yes, thank you for thinking of her."

Charlotte was a sweet woman. Phil had met her at a support meeting, and they grew close. They got married in a small ceremony about a year ago, and they doted on each other. I couldn't have been happier for Phil.

Before I could bring the cupcakes into the house, the gate opened again. Heidi entered with Demetri and their son, Jackson.

"I'm sorry we're late; Jack's game went into over time," Heidi apologized.

Heidi changed a lot since I first met her. She was no longer the shallow girl I once knew. When she worked at the Center, she often dressed in jeans and a casual top with minimal makeup. Her phone remained in her bag.

"No problem. Hi, Jack, I know Abby has been waiting for you. Why don't you go join the kids in the pool? I think Charlie could use another boy to help him."

"Okay." He ran and kicked off his sandals before getting into the pool.

"Where should I put these?" Demetri asked, holding up a few cases of beer.

"There's a cooler by the grill." I nodded my head in that direction.

"I'm going to bring these into the house, please, make yourselves at home." I excused myself.

I entered through the patio door just as Esme came into the kitchen with a baby monitor in hand. The air inside was at least twenty degrees lower, and it felt nice.

"I put Mattie down in his porta-crib. I hope you don't mind. Jasper set it up in your bedroom," Esme informed me.

"Not, at all. I told him that would be the best place for it." I smiled.

"He such a sweet little guy. I think he'll look just like Jasper except for his nose, that's Alice's." Esme smiled. "So when are you going to give me another?"

"You already have four, six if you include Em and Rose's two. How many more do you need?" I laughed.

"I'll never have enough grandchildren to spoil." She winked at me. "Do you need any help in here?"

"I'm all set. I was bringing these in and then going to use the bathroom for a quick moment."

"I'm going to check on Carlisle, and make sure he's not burning anything while gossiping with the boys." She smirked then walked outside.

I used the restroom and splashed cool water on my face, then made another stop in the kitchen for a cool drink. I took a sip and glanced at the paper on the counter that Edward was reading before the guests started to arrive.

Who says there's no good news in the newspapers anymore?

The front headline stood out to me.

 **Ex-senator, Austin St. Mark, Convicted**

A few months back, Austin was charged with raping the daughter of the current governor. To make matters worse, the poor girl had been underage. He was forced to resign as senator, and since then, several other women had come forward to accused him of sexual assault.

Needless to say, he was never going to be able to be president. Instead of moving to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., his new home would be located in a jail cell.

Thinking of jail, I glanced at the pile of yesterday's mail and one envelope, in particular. I was in a better place now, after years of therapy. However, I would prefer to never hear from Renée again. At the beginning of her sentence, I would get a letter every once in awhile. I read the first few, but they always ended up depressing me. I hoped to see remorse from her, but, as to date, I had yet to see anything close. I was frequently told how I was a horrible daughter, or it was filled with complaints about how poorly she was being treated.

Edward had banned me from reading them when he found me sobbing after a particularly nasty one when I was pregnant with Charlie. He went so far as filing a complaint with the jail, then helped get a restraining order so she couldn't write me anymore. I do have to admit, I was fairly curious as to what she had to say in this new letter, but I was waiting for Edward to scan it first.

I jumped in surprise when Edward's arm wrapped around me from behind. He kissed my neck and rested his chin on my shoulder.

Are we hiding?" he teased.

"No, I came in for a minute then got distracted." I leaned against him.

"Hmmm." He followed my gaze and frowned at the letter.

"She's not supposed to have any communication with you at all. I'm going to contact the warden myself on Monday," he promised.

"I have this strange feeling that this letter is different." I chewed on my lower lip.

"You've said that before, and you have always been disappointed. I'll read it later." He sighed.

I nodded distractedly.

"You want me to read it now, don't you?" He sighed once more, then grabbed the letter without waiting for a response.

He tore it open; his eyebrows furrowed, and the anger drained from his face. He looked up at me with a somber look.

"Renée past away a few days ago. She contracted pneumonia and died of complications," he explained quietly.

"Did she suffer for long?" I questioned.

"Doesn't say. Are you okay?" He watched me with concern.

I assessed myself for a moment. "Yeah, I think I am. I said my good-byes to Renée long ago. Is it wrong that I feel indifferent to it?"

"No, sweetheart. They're asking if we want to claim the body." He glanced back down at the sheet.

"What happens if we don't?" I hesitated.

"She would be buried in the jail cemetery," he answered.

"I can't see having any sort of memorial or funeral for her," I said honestly.

"Then I'll contact them on your behalf, or we can ask Aro to." He kissed my cheek.

He tossed the letter away and spun me so that I was facing him. "Enough about Renée for today. Have I told you how hot you look? You're far too tempting, love. I swear you wore my favorite bikini on purpose."

He kissed me heatedly and pressed against me until I felt every part of him. His hands ghosted my curves and then grabbed my ass, squeezing it gently. I moaned into his mouth and then pushed him away.

"The kids could walk in here at any moment," I scolded gently.

"They're too busy having fun with their friends. Although, I don't like that Jackson sniffing around Abby. They're way too young." Edward scowled.

"He's not sniffing, stop exaggerating. He's a sweet boy—besides it's just a case of puppy love. We knew each other at that age." I laughed as I reminded him.

"Mmmm." He continued to pout.

"Our babies are growing up, though. Charlie will be starting kindergarten in less than a year," I commented sadly.

"We can always add to the family. I'll give you as many babies as you want." Edward wiggled his eyebrows.

"Another one would be nice." I smiled.

"Then let's sneak upstairs for a quicky. I like it when you're barefoot and pregnant in my kitchen." He grinned wolfishly.

"We can't, for several reasons. One, Mattie is taking a nap in our room and doesn't need to be scarred for life. Two, we've been gone long enough. Three, I already am," I responded.

"You're already what?" He looked adorably confused.

"Barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen." I smiled wider.

He blinked a few times then gazed down at my still-flat belly. He glanced back up, and his smile lit up his whole face. "How long have you known?"

"I took a test this morning while you were mowing. It's still too early to announce it yet."

He hugged and kissed me one more time. "I love you."

"I love you too. We can celebrate tonight. Right now, I want a popsicle. Can you bring out the box and hand them to the kids?"

"Absolutely." He went to the freezer and retrieved the carton.

I chose one, then followed him outside. I sat back down as I watched Edward kneel in the grass as all the kids gathered around him.

"Everything okay? You guys were gone for a bit," Rose asked, eyeing my popsicle.

"She's smiling; does that mean that…" Heidi was cut off by Alice.

"Wait…he's my brother; I don't want to hear about any quickies." She covered her ears.

I rolled my eyes. "We were just talking. A letter came from the jail, Renée died this week."

They glanced at each, looking unsure what to say next.

"Well, good riddance." Esme huffed.

"Mom…" Alice gave me a nervous look.

"I'm fine, Allie. In fact, I've never been better. Renée was never my family. Everyone here is," I reassured her.

I glanced out at the yard and watched the scene with happiness.

Gaining material wealth had never made me richer. My friends and family gave me what I was missing before—Love.

This was my happy ending with more on the way.

 **A/N:  
This is the end. Their story has been told for now. Moonstone should start updating soon. **

**Thank you, everyone, for your love and support throughout the story.**


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